Government of Canada invests in innovation in Saskatchewan to bring leading-edge products and technology to market

Jan 24, 2022

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) provides funding of $1.3 million for innovation and job creation

REGINA, SK, Jan. - Driven by innovation and backed by a community of supporters, Saskatchewan is home to a rapidly growing tech sector, which includes many start-ups that are capturing national and international attention.

Today, the Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, announced an investment of $900,000 to support Regina's new Agtech Accelerator, and an additional $400,000 to support Jobbox Software Inc. (Jobbox) as they expand functionality and markets for their technology.

Canada's first venture-backed Agtech Accelerator was established by Economic Development Regina (EDR), Cultivator powered by Conexus and Emmertech. The Accelerator supports early-stage agtech companies to scale-up and grow by providing critical access to resources, programming and capital investment. The Accelerator builds globally competitive agtech start-ups and supports a long-term vision of further solidifying Regina and Saskatchewan as a global agtech hub that is focused on the agri-food value chain. It is a key part of EDR's agriculture and food strategy, which builds on regional strengths and unique assets, while reducing barriers to growth.

Jobbox, also supported by Cultivator, has built an innovative platform, ServiceBox, to assist field service companies to manage their business workflow digitally in real time. The Government of Canada is delivering additional investment to this growing firm to support further economic growth and innovation. This support will enable Jobbox to expand its platform and increase sales and marketing of its services throughout Canada and the United States.

Click here to see more...

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.