Oct 4 2007
The NINT Innovation Centre, a part of the National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) of the National Research Council of Canada, was officially opened today. The Centre rents space to start-up and existing companies or to industrial collaborators that will benefit from the close proximity to the high concentration of nanotechnology expertise at NINT and across the University of Alberta campus. Its objective is to help Canadian companies exploit the potential of nanotechnology and to foster the growth of an Edmonton-area cluster of companies that utilize nanotechnology.
The Centre occupies the fourth floor of the NINT building and consists of 15 rental units of combined office and laboratory space. Current tenants include five companies and a research group from the NINT-XEROX Canada industrial research partnership.
Capital costs for the Centre were $5.7 million. Western Economic Diversification Canada contributed $3.8 for construction and designing of the fourth floor, as well as outfitting and furnishing for-lease offices and labs. The Government of Alberta contributed $1,897,500 towards construction of the floor. Rental revenue is used to cover the operating costs of the Centre.
Advanced research undertaken at NINT, Canada’s flagship nanotechnology institute, fosters innovation in support of a new generation of nanotechnology-based firms. Through a special partnership, the National Research Council (NRC) and the University of Alberta have created a unique multidisciplinary environment where researchers from numerous fields are working towards the advancement of nanotechnology.
Representatives from tenant companies are available to talk about the advantages of locating at Canada's National Institute for Nanotechnology