You are absolutely right. I feel that the strategic innovation fund is extremely important and worthwhile. We must make sure that not only companies like Lion Electric can take advantage of it, but that small companies can do so too. Sometimes, that's not easy. Some time ago, I remember that, with the AIF, the Automotive Innovation Fund, the companies that could take advantage of it were mostly multinationals, because it needed an upfront investment of $75 million in order to access the money. I feel that some progress has been made with the strategic fund.
However, I feel that things could be made easier for SMEs in innovation, especially young companies. I feel that this is extremely important. Earlier, I was talking about Taiga Motors. In my opinion, they are a perfect example of this kind of company. Three young students from McGill University decided to start building electric snowmobiles. No one believed in them, except maybe two or three people in Canada. Today, those young people are building a factory in Shawinigan.
We have the skills and the expertise in this country. We are talking about Quebec and Ontario, but at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Jeff Dahn is working with Tesla in a research partnership. There are research centres in Canada that deserve to be mentioned. In British Columbia, Ballard Power Systems are conducting research and development into electric vehicles powered by hydrogen. People seem to forget that we are actually a world leader in hydrogen.
I feel that a fund like that, properly matched with worthwhile programs and projects, can improve the electrification of transportation enormously. I'm not talking about vehicles only, but infrastructures as well. The future of electrified transportation depends on smart and innovative infrastructures.