Innovate BC Awards $1.5 Million to Advance Cutting-Edge R&D Projects

Innovate BC has announced the allocation of $1.5 million through its Ignite program to support five British Columbia-based research and development projects. These initiatives aim to address priority challenges in industries such as healthcare, mining, and environmental sustainability, fostering competitiveness and job creation across the province.

The Ignite program accelerates the commercialization of solutions in clean technology, engineering, and life sciences, providing up to $300,000 per project. This year’s recipients were selected based on their potential for commercial and technical viability, market readiness within three years, and the ability to address significant industry problems in British Columbia.

• Ideon Technologies, in collaboration with Dr. Shaun Barker of the University of British Columbia, is developing cosmic-ray muon tomography for safer and more efficient mineral mining, reducing environmental impact. Awarded: $300,000
• Peqish and Dr. Anubhav Pratap-Singh of the University of British Columbia are creating dietary fiber-based fat mimetics to replace high-calorie ingredients like palm oil, promoting healthier food options. Awarded: $300,000
• Rockburst Technologies and Dr. Bern Klein of the University of British Columbia are designing a CO2-based method to pulverize ore, cutting emissions and energy use in mineral extraction. Awarded: $300,000
• Viridis Research and Neil Branda of Simon Fraser University are developing a novel water treatment technology to fully eliminate harmful chemicals and microplastics from textile wastewater, enabling water recycling. Awarded: $300,000
• Geno10X Biosciences, Gene Bio Medical, Michael Adachi, and Peter Unrau of Simon Fraser University are creating a diagnostic platform combining rapid HPV urine testing with AI algorithms to improve disease risk prediction. Awarded: $300,000

Since its inception in 2016, the Ignite program has funded 53 projects with a total investment of $13.5 million, supporting notable companies such as VoxCell BioInnovation, Daanaa, and Terramera.