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City of Greater Sudbury Invests in Northern Research and Development

The City of Greater Sudbury, through the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation (GSDC), is boosting economic recovery efforts with investments in local research and development projects.

The GSDC Board of Directors has awarded $739,000 to leverage a variety of business initiatives since early 2020 through a one million dollar Community Economic Development (CED) Fund of Council.

“It’s tremendously gratifying to play a role in providing incentives to grow our economy,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. “Council, staff and volunteers are working very hard to leverage every potential source of funding to support the innovation of our business sector. Through collaboration, we will weather the storm of COVID-19 and return to a stronger local economic position than ever before.”

At its regular meeting in June, the GSDC Board of Directors approved investments totaling $134,000 to support growth in northern exports, diversification and mines research:

• The Northern Ontario Exports Program helps businesses access new export markets. A $21,000 investment over three years to Ontario’s North Economic Development Corporation will leverage an additional $4.78 million in public and private sector funding for continued and expanded program delivery.
• The Defence Supply Chain Capacity Building Program will help interested firms in northern Ontario diversify into the defence industry by providing expertise and training to secure certification and compete for procurement contracts. A $20,000 investment over three years to Ontario’s North Economic Development Corporation will leverage an additional $2.2 million to deliver the program through Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy.
• Laurentian University’s Centre for Mine Waste Biotechnology supports the biomining research of Dr. Nadia Mykytczuk for an environmentally friendly technique of extracting valuable metals from ore. A $60,000 investment will leverage an additional $120,000 in public and private sector funding to support a feasibility study for the commercialization of using prokaryotes or fungi in the extraction process.
• MineConnect, a rebranding of the Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association (SAMSSA), plays a major role in positioning the northern Ontario mining supply and services sector as a global industry leader. The GSDC continues to support this sector with the third installment of a total $245,000 three-year investment.

“Each proposal undergoes rigorous evaluation before being brought forward for approval,” said GSDC Board Chair Andrée Lacroix. “We are deeply appreciative of the expertise and due diligence provided by the volunteer members of the GSDC Board to ensure that every dollar returns maximum impact to our community. We are grateful for the support of City Council in recognizing the importance of these strategic investments.”