The Short Report – April 24, 2019: ArcticNet, e-DNA, autonomous greenhouse

ArcticNet's funding was renewed for $32.5 million over five years, enabling it to evolve beyond the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program and become a permanent pan-Canadian research centre. During this funding period, ArcticNet's research will focus on the sustainable development of the "Blue Economy" (shipping, fisheries, tourism, and mining), and growing postsecondary research and training capacity through its North-by-North initiative. - NationTalk

The University of Alberta's Canadian Mountain Network (CMN) also scooped up some final NCE funding, as that program is gradually transferred to the New Frontiers in Research Fund. $18.3 million over the next five years will go to supporting the development of a comprehensive mountains observations program at CMN, as well as a new training program for mountain researchers and a knowledge mobilization program to support evidence-based decision making based on multiple ways of knowing. - Folio

Three research networks led by the University of British Columbia — NanoMedicines Innovation Network (NMIN), RESEAU Centre for Mobilizing Innovation, and Composites Research Network Knowledge Mobilization Centre (CRN-KM) — will receive a combined $21.7 million in federal funding through the NCE: $18.5 million for NMIN, and $1.6 million for each of the others. - UBC

The Centre d’entrepreneuriat et d’essaimage de l’Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (CEE-UQAC) is receiving $4 million from Développement économique Canada pour les régions du Québec (DEC) to create a bio-product processing centre called the Centre de transformation et de valorisation de bioproduits (CTVB). - Université du Québec

Malaysia’s national oil company PETRONAS has joined CMC Research Institute’s carbon storage research group, part of the institute's Field Research Station (FRS) program, ahead of deploying carbon capture and storage at its offshore operations. - CMC Research Institutes

The University of Manitoba Centre for Oil and Gas Research and Development (COGRAD) will receive $1.1 million from ISED to establish an environmental DNA (e-DNA) laboratory for non-invasive biodiversity monitoring. - Newswire

PROFILE: Journalist John Lorinc offers a close study of Jim Balsillie's battle against Sidewalk Labs and the "anti-global-tech-giant narrative" he's spinning. - Maclean's

The Toronto Trade Accelerator Program (TAP Toronto) has won a $6.7 million federal investment to help 1,000 Ontario SMEs improve their export game. - BetaKit

McMaster University received $37.5 million through the federal Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund for the now-completed redevelopment of its Arthur Bourns Building, replete with improved science and engineering research facilities and a 45,000 square-foot addition. - McMaster Daily News

Capilano University in British Columbia will receive nearly $2 million from ISED for its new Indigenous Digital Accelerator Centre, a dedicated space for Indigenous entrepreneurs, where they will receive mentoring and advice from members of Indigenext, an Indigenous business accelerator. - Newswire

ISED will invest $3 million in Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc. for an autonomous AI platform for pest management and yield prediction, designed to increase the crop yield of greenhouse growers. - Newswire

The Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) has named Angela Mondou its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Mondou has held senior leadership roles at Nortel Networks and Blackberry, served as president of the charity Canada Company, and created the public-private sector leadership forums “Strategic Knowledge Exchange.” - ITAC

Three University of Toronto researchers were named among the 50 new fellows of the Royal Society, the United Kingdom’s national academy of sciences: earth scientist Barbara Sherwood Lollar, molecular geneticist Benjamin Blencowe and biomedical engineer Molly Shoichet. - University of Toronto