Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this edition:
A Calgary medtech company built around one founder's personal mission
Alberta tests autonomous trucking tech
Nursing licence renewals go digital in Alberta
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$9.3 million in federal funding backs six Alberta defence-tech companies
Photo: Unsplash
The federal government has announced more than $9.3 million in repayable funding for six Alberta companies through the Regional Defence Investment Initiative, a three-year $379.2 million national program designed to integrate small and medium-sized businesses into Canada's defence supply chains.
The announcement was made in Calgary by Corey Hogan, Member of Parliament for Calgary Confederation, on behalf of Eleanor Olszewski, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada.
Five of the six recipients are Calgary-based. Canadian UAVs is receiving the largest single investment at $3 million to deliver a fully deployable drone platform and intelligence suite providing reconnaissance and situational awareness for defence and security applications. The company's unmanned aerial vehicles are designed for long-endurance operations beyond visual line of sight.
VizworX is receiving $2 million to commercialize its Virtual Operations Environment platform, a mobile control room that integrates maps, live feeds, and data tracking into a collaborative 3D closed communication environment for mission planning and monitoring.
"We are excited to be able to accelerate the development and deployment of our Virtual Operations Environment, a Virtual Reality-based Command and Control solution, in support of the needs of the Canadian Armed Forces and our NATO allies," said Jeff LaFrenz, president of VizworX.
Microlynx Systems is receiving $2 million to improve high-power radio frequency amplifiers that support Arctic domain awareness, specifically the transmit power amplifiers used in Canada's Polar Over the Horizon Radar system. The project is designed to reduce sustainment demands and support NORAD modernization.
MRO Electronic Supply is receiving $1 million to strengthen domestic production of mission-critical components and expand manufacturing capacity for defence electronics.
Also receiving $1 million is Red Deer-based Technalogix, which is designing high-frequency power amplifier products for monitoring airspace and waterways across large geographical areas and in harsh conditions, including Canada's Arctic.
Rounding out the six is 3-Ci Manufacturing, receiving $300,900 to expand production capacity for military-grade cable and wiring systems.
All six investments are repayable.
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🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships
CFIN and CDL-Rockies announce community partnership to strengthen Canada’s agrifood innovation ecosystem. This collaboration creates a powerful "producer-to-plate" pipeline, leveraging CFIN’s national network and industry expertise with CDL’s world-class, objectives-based mentorship program. CFIN
📰 Need To Know
Inside the Calgary medtech company born from one man’s determination to treat his own son. Saving Adam was the first mission. Selling the science is the next. Betakit
Alberta to become testbed for autonomous trucking tech targeting forestry sector. Kodiak AI is slated is conduct pilot operations for autonomous driving technology in Alberta. Calgary.Tech
Punchcard Systems, College of Registered Nurses of Alberta expands digital platform to modernize nursing regulation. College Connect replaces paper-based licensing applications, approvals, and renewals with a mobile-first platform, cutting renewal times from days to minutes. Punchcard Systems
Slalom expands Calgary presence with new downtown office. Slalom said the investment will help the firm attract and retain talent in Alberta while deepening its engagement with clients across the province. Calgary.Tech
Leaders gather to shape next phase of Calgary’s economic action plan. Discussions focused on how Calgary can continue building a more resilient, competitive and inclusive economy amid rapid global change. Calgary Economic Development