News

Over $1 Million for ICAMP Expansion

NORTH BAY – Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing announced that the Ontario government is investing $1.1million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) for Canadore College to expand the Innovation Centre for Advance Manufacturing and Prototyping (ICAMP) facility.

“Our government is proud to continue providing targeted investments that will support the manufacturing industry in Northern Ontario,” said MPP Vic Fedeli. “The expansion of ICAMP at Canadore College will help businesses and students work together to conduct market research by using specialized equipment to design, develop and test innovative ideas.”

“Canadore College is committed to experiential learning and applied research. Concept Development Lab (CDL) client companies and Canadore students could be working in the lab at the same time on vastly different projects. Our students could also be involved in product development or testing for lab clients. The CDL will co-exist with the Entrepreneurship Academy at Canadore by providing technical support for the development of innovative products. The Entrepreneurship Academy will work with ecosystem partners to bring the products to market. We thank the Government of Ontario for its continued support, and the financial commitments towards these endeavours.” – George Burton, President, and CEO, Canadore College.

“The Concept Development Lab (CDL) is a joint initiative of the Innovation Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping (ICAMP), Innovation Initiatives Ontario North (IION) and Makeit Centre. The CDL will offer Northern Ontario start-ups and young companies a place where they will be guided through the earlier stages of the commercialization process, create their own prototype, and rent equipment. The services either do not exist in Northern Ontario or are complementary to existing services.” – Brad Gavan, Director, ICAMP, Corporate, Community, and Alumni Partnership.

Canadore College’s ICAMP has state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies and supports innovative applied research designed to meet the needs of industry. ICAMP has undertaken more than 800 projects with over 300 companies, ranging from short-term technical assistance to multi-year complex projects. These projects have helped create or retain over 330 jobs in the region.

Canadore College has used NOHFC funding to complete the second phase of ICAMP’s Concept Development Lab and create the Entrepreneurship Academy. The Concept Development Lab will become an innovation shop with state-of-the-art technology that will enable entrepreneurs and students to take their concepts from ideation and create and test prototypes with the support of an on-site engineer and technician. The Entrepreneurship Academy will offer Northern Ontario start-ups and young companies a place where they can be guided through the earlier stages of the commercialization process, create their own prototypes, and rent equipment.

The NOHFC promotes economic prosperity across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects—big and small, rural and urban—that stimulate growth, job creation and skills development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $717 million in 5,875 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $2.3 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 9,260 jobs.

Quick Facts

• The Ontario government launched new and improved NOHFC programs that support more projects in rural northern communities and make it easier for more people and businesses to apply. The programs target existing and emerging markets, provide more work opportunities for Indigenous people and address the skilled labour shortage in the North.

Additional Resources

• The NOHFC, Northern Development Offices and Small Business Enterprise Centres are available to support northern communities, businesses and other stakeholders in identifying economic development opportunities and assist in accessing government funding programs.
• The NOHFC’s Community Enhancement Program builds strong and resilient northern communities through targeted investments in critical infrastructure.