The Province is investing $2.5-million in the Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment in Sydney to expand into a national biomanufacturing centre. The centre helps clean-tech companies develop and commercialise innovative and sustainable technologies.
“As Nova Scotia grows its economy into one that is greener and more sustainable, an expanded Verschuren Centre will play an invaluable role in our success,” said Economic Development Minister Corkum-Greek. “We are thrilled to support this expansion, as biomanufacturing will allow the centre to hire more skilled workers and help companies accelerate and scale up their product development in ways that are not available anywhere else in Canada.”
The Verschuren Centre is already home to a bioreactor – one of only three in Canada – but its expansion into a national bioprocessing centre will increase its bioreactor capacity by more than 10 times. The new facility will be a first of its kind in Canada and create an initial 40 jobs, hoping to attract 10 new companies per year. The Verschuren Centre’s expansion will play an important role in attracting and growing innovative, sustainable and green businesses across the province and supporting businesses in reducing emissions.
The Government of Canada, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), is also contributing $2 million toward the expansion through the Canada Coal Transition Initiative Infrastructure Fund. An additional $2.3 million is coming from Next Generation Manufacturing Canada, $1.3 million from the Verschuren Centre and $500,000 from DeNova, a clean technology company in Halifax.
“The Verschuren Centre continues to attract innovative companies and skilled workers to bring disruptive clean technologies to market faster. The centre is a true leader in promoting sustainablity in the Canadian manufacturing sector and is helping put Cape Breton – and Canada – at the forefront of the new bio-economy. We are proud to be supporting this expansion.” said Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister responsible for ACOA.
“Biomanufacturing has been cited as the internet of the future in relation to speed of development and impact on sustainable procurement, and as such companies in this field need to scale rapidly in a capital intensive and unencumbered environment. The Verschuren Centre’s new business model was created to provide just that, development speed, capital efficiency and open access technical capacity not readily available elsewhere” added Beth Mason, President, Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment
