Backgrounder: Government of Canada Announces More Than $1 Million For UVic Technology Projects
The Federal Government is investing $1,036,400 for the University of Victoria to enhance its science and technology capabilities. The funding will help the University of Victoria purchase state-of-the-art research equipment and expand services to the advanced technology sector on Vancouver Island.
Research Equipment for the University of Victoria’s Departments of Chemistry and Physics and Astronomy, and Faculty of Engineering
An investment of $570,000 by the Government of Canada will help the University of Victoria to acquire and upgrade important research equipment:
1. A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer for the Department of Chemistry. Upgrading the control console will allow the University to continue its daily training and research, and to provide analytical chemistry testing services for western Canadian firms in industries such as biotechnology and oil. Total funding: $150,000.
2. An Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) system for the Department of Physics and Astronomy. An EBL system is an essential tool for creating artificial structures on a nano-metre scale, which is important to research in biology, chemistry, engineering and physics. Total funding: $290,000
3. A Raman microscope for researchers in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Faculty of Engineering. Raman microscopes provide a spatial map of vibrational signatures for a specific sample of material. It is like a molecular fingerprint, which allows composition of materials to be identified. The technology is widely used in industries as an advanced characterization tool and for identification of properties in mixtures. Total funding: $130,000.
Research Equipment for the University of Victoria’s VENUS Project
An investment of $353,700 from the Government of Canada will help to install three Seismic Liquefaction In-Situ Penetrometers (SLIPs) and supporting infrastructure connected to the Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea (VENUS). The VENUS cabled ocean observatory on the Fraser River delta will provide real time, Internet accessible data flows from instruments installed on the seafloor, allowing researchers to control those instruments from anywhere in the world.
The SLIPs will be used to improve understanding of the behaviour (liquefaction) of sedimentary deltas under a variety of disturbances (e.g., slope failure, earthquake, tsunami). The SLIPs installation will be the first of its type in the world. Knowledge gained from this project can be used to improve critical infrastructure planning, risk mitigation, emergency planning and, potentially, early warning capability. The project also provides technology commercialization opportunities for western Canadian firms by offering a demonstration of the SLIPs’ capabilities, while also showcasing the innovations of the VENUS project.
Improvements to the Vancouver Island Technology Park
An investment of $112,700 will assist the Vancouver Island Technology Park (VITP), owned by the University of Victoria, to upgrade its existing business centre. The project will improve service provided by VITP to advanced technology firms on south Vancouver Island. The project will support upgrades to security and shared meeting spaces, create six additional offices, and enhance capacity to mentor young technology firms.
Opened in 2002, VITP comprises 200,000 square feet within a series of connected buildings in Victoria, B.C. The facility contains about 30 companies and employs approximately 1,300 people.