In a first-of-its-kind partnership, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has awarded $4 million in multi-year grants to several Canadian colleges working to develop products for the global e-textile market, and to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with solutions for the transportation, food production, energy and advanced manufacturing sectors.
E-textiles are next-generation fabrics that integrate digital components such as biometric sensors, minicomputers and electronics, giving them new capabilities in data collection, energy transfer and communications. E-textiles can monitor and communicate health data to inform treatment, enabling virtual care outside of hospital settings, which will be invaluable to the elderly and people living with chronic illness or disabilities.
The Wearable Interactive Mobile Technology Access Centre (WIMTACH) at Centennial College, an institution known for its strong curricular focus on transportation, aerospace and automation, was the lead applicant for the award, partnering with Sheridan College, Humber College and the KITE Institute at the University Health Network. The project team will receive $2 million over two years, pooling the award along with equipment and expertise to support SMEs in Toronto and across Canada. The colleges are members of the FabrIc-Based REsearch (FIBRE) network, the world’s first development and commercialization platform for textile computing technologies led by UHN’s KITE, a rehabilitation science leader.
“SMEs have requested support with issues facing the e-textile industry in Canada,” said Dr. Purnima Tyagi, who leads Centennial College’s WIMTACH institute. “As strengthening employer relations is a key area of excellence for Centennial, this research collaboration will engage deeply with them to support business goals related to the design and manufacturing of e-textile components.”
Centennial will share an additional $2 million in NSERC funding to assist SMEs in the transportation, food production, energy and advanced manufacturing sectors as part of the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI), a consortium of postsecondary institutions, led by Niagara College, that provides innovative solutions to Ontario’s manufacturers.
“Emerging from the prolonged economic stress of covid-19 will be essential for southern Ontario’s employers,” said Dr. Eric Blaise, Director, Applied Research and Innovation (ARIES) at Centennial. “Through targeted efforts in key sectors that are primed for sustainable growth, SONAMI will provide a critical difference in preparing local businesses and partners for success.”
Manufacturing is a major economic driver in southern Ontario. SONAMI leverages the individual capacity and capabilities of its membership to broaden and deepen the resource pool of the whole.
