Manufacturing supercluster invests to fight COVID-19

HAMILTON, ON – Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), the industry-led organization leading Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, will invest $50 million to support companies as they prepare to produce critically needed technologies, equipment, and medical products to aid in the fight against COVID-19.

NGen’s program will fund projects that involve the rapid production launch of products in short supply, including virus screening test kits, gloves, gowns, masks, and other personal protective equipment, hospital equipment such as ventilators and peripherals, as well as cleaning and sterilization chemicals and equipment.

Projects will be selected for funding according to critical needs identified by the Government of Canada and the ability of manufacturers to produce products that are safe for both patients and healthcare workers. NGen will fund projects that can have an immediate impact in the next 4 to 12 weeks.

Funding will be available for companies across Canada. Manufacturers are already responding to the Canadian government’s urgent call to action to ramp up supplies of critical products for diagnosing, treating, and preventing the spread of COVID-19.

NGen will work to build partnerships as required and move scalable plans forward as quickly as possible. NGen recognizes that the rapid launch of safe medical products is no easy task. It will require expeditious product validation, secure supply of materials and components, regulatory approvals, and the scale-up of new manufacturing systems before full-scale production can be brought on line.

It will take a highly synchronized approach, requiring the active collaboration of manufacturers, as well as engineering and healthcare specialists, standards bodies, government regulators, and procurement officials. NGen is coordinating a community response to ensure that manufacturers can get their products to the front line in this crisis.

Companies looking for support in launching production of critical products to fight COVID-19 can indicate their interest at www.ngen.ca/covid-19-response.

Experts who are able to assist are also encouraged to share their capabilities with us at www.ngen.ca/covid-19-response.

Companies looking for information about how their technologies could address critical COVID-related challenges and how to access funding for proof of concept or prototype development can register at https://bit.ly/nrc-irap-covid-response

Researchers who are able contribute to solutions in the fields of rapid detection and diagnosis, therapeutics and vaccine development, and digital health can register at https://bit.ly/nrcchallenge

About Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen)
NGen leads Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, managing $230 million in funding from the Government of Canada to leverage Canada’s manufacturing and technology strengths to build world-leading advanced manufacturing capabilities. There is no more important priority for manufacturers across Canada today than to respond to COVID-19. NGen is targeting enhanced funding for companies that can scale-up production of critical supplies in response to the COVID-19 crisis and secure their supply chains given the likelihood of future global disruptions. For more information about NGen COVID-19 funding initiative, please visit www.ngen.ca/covid19-response/