Projects
NGen’s Portfolio
NGen’s Project Portfolio
– March 31, 2021
Project Status
Completed
Contracted & Underway
Approved – not contracted
Total Portfolio
Number of Projects
23
43
25
91
Number of Partner Projects
39
113
55
207
Number
of SMEs
37
102
48
187
NGen Investment
$39.8 million
$92.9 million
$21.8 million
$154.5 million
Total Project Spending
$53.5 million
$245.4 million
$50.1 million
$349.0 million
Number of Projects
Completed – 23
Contracted & Underway –
43
Approved – not contracted – 25
Total Portfolio - 91
Number of Partner Projects
Completed – 39
Contracted & Underway – 113
Approved – not contracted – 55
Total Portfolio - 207
Number of SMEs
Completed – 37
Contracted & Underway – 102
Approved – not contracted – 48
Total Portfolio - 187
NGen Investment
Completed – $39.8 million
Contracted & Underway – $92.9 million
Approved – not contracted – $21.8 million
Total Portfolio - $154.5 million
Total Project Spending
Completed – $53.5 million
Contracted & Underway – $245.4 million
Approved – not contracted – $50.1 million
Total Portfolio - $349.0 million
True to its objectives to enhance collaboration and engage smaller companies, NGen’s project portfolio at the end of March 2021 involved 207 industrial partners, including 187 SMEs, as well as 24 colleges and universities and 32 innovation and research centres, from across Canada. Over a third of industrial partners were from outside Ontario.
All NGen projects can be categorized according to whether they involve the development of new technological processes for advanced manufacturing, the transformation of industrial processes through the implementation of digital technologies, or the development of new ecosystem capabilities including the more widespread diffusion of technologies across Canada’s manufacturing sector. As of the end of March 2021, two-thirds of the investments approved by NGen were directed to advanced manufacturing technology development projects while those projects accounted for 62% of total estimated project spending.
The projects approved for funding by NGen will lead to the development of unique advanced manufacturing solutions for a variety of industry sectors.
NGen ended the year with a pipeline of 62 project applications yet to be assessed, involving a funding ask of $180.9 million and an estimated value of $458.7 million in total eligible costs.
For a full description of all NGen projects, explore www.ngen.ca/project-map.
Advanced Manufacturing Projects – Highlights
Throughout 2020-2021, NGen continued to develop, assess, approve, contact, and support world-leading industry-led advanced manufacturing projects in its open-call mainstream and SME capacity-building programs.
At the end of March 2021, ArcelorMittal Dofasco in Hamilton was leading a consortium with IBM Canada and Tenova, and IFiveO from Mississauga to digitize hot-ladle steel production. Aspire Food Group in London was developing advanced processes for the manufacture of high-quality proteins working with Telus in Vancouver, London-based A&L Biologicals, and Darwin AI out of Waterloo. MDA in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec was partnering with Promark Electronics from Pointe-Claire and AV&R from Montreal to deploy flexible advanced manufacturing systems in its production facility. And, Vancouver-based Panevo Services was working with Saputo Dairy Products in St.-Laurent, Quebec and Accuenergy in Toronto to develop and implement a solution to enhance real-time overall equipment effectiveness, monitoring, optimization, and supply chain collaboration.
Several materials development projects were also underway. Axiom Plastics based in Aurora was leading a project, along with MS Falcon from Toronto, Kytech Machine Works from Mount Albert, Ontario, and Bulldog Polymers from Alliston, Ontario to develop a zero-transition solution for plastic materials. Calgary-based Exergy was working with Suncor Energy and Precision ADM in Winnipeg to develop a new, more environmentally sustainable process for mining and mineral processing. Formula Solutions in Burlington was partnering with local firm Promation and AXYZ Automation in Midland to automate the scale-up of carbon fiber cascade production with applications in both aerospace and automotive sectors.
A number of medical technology and biomanufacturing projects were in progress as well. Baxter, with its Canadian head office in Mississauga, was working with Technology Trace from Rockwood and Cheme Engineering in Campbellville, Ontario to optimize medical device remanufacturing. Toronto-based Myant was working with Urtech in Burlington and Applied Brain Research in Toronto to scale up the production of wearable defibrillators. And, Winnipeg-based OIC was working with Pega Medical from Laval, Quebec, Spinologics in Montreal, Conceptualiz in Halifax, and Precision ADM in Winnipeg to develop and validate automated patient-specific medical device software for enhancing additive manufacturability of orthopedic surgical implants.
New manufacturing processes were being developed too. Toronto-based Mosaic Manufacturing was developing a new array additive manufacturing production system in partnership with Objex Unlimited, ReDeTec, and Athletic Knit, also SMEs from Toronto. Conrex, another Toronto company, was working with Macrodyne Technologies from Concord and Source Industrial Services in Brampton, Ontario to develop and manufacture its large-scale steel press technology. Mycionics in Putnam, Ontario was developing an innovative robotic mushroom harvesting system along with local Whitecrest Mushroom and Piccioni Brothers Mushroom Farms.
Ten other mainstream advanced manufacturing projects in the fields of biomanufacturing, advanced materials, electric battery production, autonomous robotics, and the digital transformation of industrial processes had been approved but had not yet been contracted by the end of the year.