Given the challenges of climate change, it is imperative to accelerate investment. We are requesting funding of $49 million over seven years to roll out this model nationally. The goal is to reach $163 million for collaborative research. This will enable us to continue the projects under way and increase our response activities across the country.
More specifically, the AdapT Institute, with its proven model, makes it possible to connect researchers, businesses and governments to find solutions tailored to each context, to accelerate the development of research and innovation projects, and to strengthen the resilience of our communities.
The AdapT Institute urges the government to support cutting-edge research on climate change adaptation. By strengthening the resilience of our infrastructure, not only are we preparing our country to meet the challenges of climate change, but we are also creating a framework conducive to technological innovation.
Therefore, we recommend that the federal government help fund the AdapT Institute to promote resilient infrastructure and a sustainable economy in Canada.
The second recommendation we would like to present to you is to increase investments to support start-up incubators that specialize in advanced technology—in other words, deep tech—in order to stimulate innovation and the Canadian economy.
Deep technologies, through their transformative potential, are at the heart of the upcoming technology revolution. The ETS houses a deep-tech incubator called Centech, which UBI Global ranks as one of the top 10 incubators in the world. Centech supports companies in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and other high-tech sectors.
Deep-tech incubators in Canada are facing a major challenge: underfunding. Start-ups in the technology sector need more resources and a longer support period than start-ups in the usual sectors to ensure their success and survival. However, existing funding programs are not adapted to their specific needs, which limits their development and their ability to compete internationally.
To address this, we propose the establishment of a national targeted funding program of $62 million over five years specifically for deep-tech incubators. This program, based on a competitive call for projects model, would support a network of 15 or so incubators across the country. This would stimulate the innovation ecosystem and create thousands of highly skilled jobs.
In conclusion, I would say that these recommendations reflect the commitment of the École de technologie supérieure to make a significant contribution to the green transition and to innovation in Canada, as well as to stimulate its economy and demonstrate its global leadership. By supporting AdapT and deep-tech incubators like Centech, the government could position Canada to be more resilient and innovative in the future.
Thank you for your attention and for giving me the opportunity to present initiatives that will change Canada's technological, economic and environmental face.