The Government of Canada awards nearly $560,000 in financial assistance to Lumca, WikiNet and Ondia
QUÉBEC CITY, March 12, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)
Lumca Inc., WikiNet and Ondia Inc. will be able to complete their development projects with the help of a total of $559,500 in repayable contributions from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.
With this financial assistance, Lumca will be able to improve its productivity and roll out its North American marketing strategy, while WikiNet intends to increase its overall sales and export levels. The contribution paid to Ondia will help the company continue improving its product and increase its international market shares.
The funding was announced today by Joël Lightbound, Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance. The Government of Canada's assistance under CED's Quebec Economic Development Program and Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program will help the recipient businesses achieve their set objectives. Their respective projects will generate total investments of nearly $1.7M and create 27 jobs in Québec City.
The Government of Canada is committed to creating close partnerships with Quebec businesses to support their efforts to innovate and increase their productivity and competitiveness. In addition to generating growth, initiatives like these contribute to the economic vitality of the regions, the creation of jobs and the improvement of citizens' quality of life.
Quotes
"These three businesses demonstrate an exceptional ability to develop niche products in promising markets. Their drive, boldness and sense of innovation are sources of invaluable progress. CED's assistance will allow them to take full advantage of future business opportunities and further contribute to the economic vitality of the greater Québec City area."
Joël Lightbound, Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
"By helping businesses invest in equipment and tools that will make them more productive, and by supporting them in seeking out new markets, the Government of Canada is remaining true to its commitments. Our objectives are to drive expansion, innovation and exports. I am also delighted to know that these projects will contribute to creating 27 quality jobs in Québec City."
The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister responsible for CED
Quick facts
- Today's announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister responsible for the Innovation, Science and Economic Development portfolio, which is made up of 17 federal departments and agencies, including CED and the other five regional development agencies.
- For more information on CED and its priorities, consult the 2018-2019 Departmental Plan or visit www.dec-ced.gc.ca.
- For 50 years now, the Government of Canada has been actively participating in regional economic development in Quebec: half a century of concrete action dedicated to the development of the regions and local businesses.
Related products
- For more information about the products, please refer to the related backgrounder.
Backgrounder
Proponent |
Contribution – Investment – Description of the project |
Repayable contribution of $400,000 out of a total investment of $1.3M
Established in 1990, Lumca Inc. designs, manufactures and markets urban lighting products. The company uses exclusive technologies combining a variety of materials, lighting types, styles and colours to offer original, cost-effective and energy-efficient products, including "smart" street lights.
The goal of the project is to improve the business's productivity and roll out its North American marketing strategy. Among other things, CED's contribution will go toward the purchase of a computerized integrated management system and marketing activities abroad.
The project will create 10 jobs. |
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| (9581243 Canada Inc.) |
Repayable contribution of $109,000 out of a total investment of $254,040
WikiNet was founded in 2016 to provide innovative software solutions for the environment sector. It offers niche applications, including a smart management tool for the transportation and management of contaminated soils and an application that uses both a database and artificial intelligence to guide environmental experts in choosing the best site remediation technologies. This artificial intelligence product was one of over 150 projects from 36 countries selected as part of the global IBM Watson AI Xprize for Good competition. The winners will be announced in 2020.
The project will help the business diversify its markets, thereby increasing its sales and exports. The contribution will go toward prospecting, producing promotional tools and registering a patent.
Fifteen jobs will be created once the project is completed. |
Ondia Inc. |
Repayable contribution of $50,000 out of a total investment of $115,000
A start-up established in 2017, Ondia Inc. offers software to analyze ultrasound data used to inspect and verify the compliance of metal structure welds. It is the only non-destructive check (NDC) technology to incorporate artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
The purpose of the project is to improve the product and its international marketing. The funding will be used to hire artificial intelligence specialists and carry out activities to promote its software in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The project will create two jobs. |
Summary |
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SOURCE Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Media Relations, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, 514-283-7443, [email protected]
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