Funding will help the Prairies-based supercluster create more than 4,500 jobs over 10 years
REGINA, Nov. 13, 2018 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to growing the economy, creating good jobs and keeping Canada competitive. That is why the Government is bringing together small, medium-sized and large companies, academic institutions and not-for-profit organizations to generate bold ideas under the Innovation Superclusters Initiative.
Today, the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced the signing of an agreement to invest up to nearly $153 million, matched dollar for dollar by the private sector, in the Prairie-based Protein Industries Canada Supercluster. Protein Industries Canada is a group of businesses, post-secondary institutions and non-profits working together to make Canada a world leader in the growing market for plant-based proteins.
The funding agreement means Protein Industries Canada can move forward with activities to help Canada increase the value of key crops in premium markets and meet the growing demand for plant-based meat alternatives in North America. It is projected that this supercluster will create more than 4,500 jobs and add more than $4.5 billion to Canada's economy over 10 years.
The Innovation Superclusters Initiative is a centrepiece of the Government of Canada's Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year strategy to prepare Canada for the innovative jobs of today and tomorrow.
Quotes
"Canada's advanced and productive agricultural industries have excellent potential for growth given the increasing global demand for plant-based protein. Our government is teaming up with companies of all sizes, academic institutions and not-for-profit organizations to make productive connections and stimulate innovation that will create thousands of good jobs in this and related fields."
– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
"The Protein Industries Canada Supercluster is great news for the economy of the Prairies and for Canadian agriculture. By bringing together the best brains from business, academia and non-profits, we're positioning our talented workers to be global leaders in the fast-growing plant protein market."
– The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Member of Parliament for Regina–Wascana
"The global demand for plant-based protein continues to grow at a rapid pace and the signing of the contribution agreement will allow Protein Industries Canada to help industry seize this opportunity. We are very excited to move onto the next phase of our supercluster efforts and to work with industry to identify and support the projects that will establish Canada as a global leader in plant-based proteins."
– Bill Greuel, CEO, Protein Industries Canada
Quick facts
- Superclusters are dense areas of business activity where many middle-class jobs are created. They attract large and small companies that collaborate with universities, colleges and not-for-profit organizations to turn ideas into solutions that can be brought to market.
- The Innovation Superclusters Initiative is projected to create more than 50,000 jobs and grow Canada's GDP by more than $50 billion over the next 10 years.
- Canada's five superclusters—the Digital Technology Supercluster, the Protein Industries Canada Supercluster, the Next Generation Manufacturing Supercluster (NGen), the AI-Powered Supply Chains Supercluster (SCALE AI) and the Ocean Supercluster—offer ongoing opportunities for collaboration to individuals, businesses and post-secondary institutions across the country.
- Together the five superclusters represent more than 450 businesses, 60 post-secondary institutions and 180 other participants in sectors covering 78 percent of Canada's economy.
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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Dani Keenan, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, 343-291-2500; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected], 343-291-1777
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