NanoQuébec develops unique regional model with a stronger innovation focus

After three years of essential groundwork, NanoQuébec (NQ) is re-inventing itself and placing innovation front and centre to link all nanotechnology players in the province and stimulate commercialization. NQ has emerged with a new board of directors with majority private sector representation and a unique strategy to actively engage the private sector and link companies with institutional research infrastructure in Quebec, Canada and internationally.

The newly reconstituted organization has effectively been in place since early this year but will be officially unveiled September 30 at a press conference in Montreal. To engineer the shift in focus and board composition, NQ re-engaged Dr Clive Willis, a veteran S&T consultant and former VP research at the National Research Council (NRC).

Willis was a key player in the original formation of NQ, which received $10 million over three years from Valorisation-Recherche Québec (VRQ). When the decision was made to give NQ a stronger innovation focus, Willis agreed to spearhead the makeover. The mechanism for change was the creation of a parallel organization (nominally called Nano Quebec Innovation) which was then merged with the original NQ.

“This is a new regional model for rolling out a new transformational technology in the emergent stages. You have to roll it out early and build links to small firms,” says Willis. “We want to work with everybody in the game and it will all be built around our new board of directors.”

The Quebec government has recognized for some time that several of its most important industrial sectors can benefit from nanotechnology assuming there is a broad, multidisciplinary base of knowledge, infra- structure and expertise. More recent thinking has focused on the need to ensure that investments to date are ultimately realized in the marketplace and that Quebec-generated knowledge is augmented with R&D internationally. The public role is to ensure that linkages are made, infrastructure is available to all players and skills are generated to help move the technology forward.

“We’re trying to build a partnership with firms (and) we have a very strong base. We also have a base of competency in other organizations like the NRC labs, Natural Resources Canada labs, Hydro-Québec labs and the industry sectors,” says Willis. “What we need to do is put these together and essentially roll out a research strategy for each of these sectors.”

One of the first new initiatives is a program to fund feasibility projects led by small firms. The program is aimed at adding a commercialization component to existing research collaborations and is being implemented in conjunction with Développement économique Canada (DEC). The results of the first competition will be announced at NQ’s official unveiling September 30.

On the facilities front, NQ has established a university liaison council to plan infrastructure requirements. Collaborative agreements are also being negotiated with other Canadian centres of nanotechnology research in Edmonton (home of the new National Institute for Nanotechnology), British Columbia and Ontario, as well as centres in various US states, France and other European nations.

Another area requiring work is an expansion of support for demonstration projects. Anticipated future projects will last several years to ensure ideas reach the pre-competitive stage.

NEW FUNDING SOUGHT

The new initiatives are being started from remaining VRQ funds but Willis says more public financing will be required as activities ramp up.

“We’re talking to both levels of government. NanoQuébec needs enough money to keep its knitting capability together, and money to make sure that existing infrastructures work more effectively so that we can get the yield from the massive investments we’ve made,” he says. “The Quebec government has said that it wants Nano Quebec to put in place a unique action plan for Quebec nanotechnology. This will be the basis upon which we talk to the federal government as well.”

NQ’s activities are being geared towards the needs of seven sectors — forestry, transportation, energy, environment, agrifood, biotechnology and health. To tailor programs towards their specific requirements, NQ has established sectoral tables that are designed to last for several years. The tables will have a strong focus on technology foresight and involve senior representatives from large and small firms. Willis says the goal is to develop a clear idea of when and where industry pull will likely come from.

“We’re going to see nanotechnology roll out in all these sectors in the next 10 to 15 years,” he says. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the first products on the Quebec scene are going to be from the big firms. So we have to produce products for this through the small business community.”

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