Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to thank the witnesses for being with us today.
The NRC's industrial research assistance program is accelerating growth in a number of Canada's small and medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs, particularly through a range of innovation and funding services. SMEs sometimes lack the means to conduct research and development projects, so they enter partnerships, especially with college-level institutions.
An example of this in my riding is Innov, the applied research and innovation division of the New Brunswick Community College, which focuses on bioeconomy. This centre partners with SMEs engaged in projects that are sometimes funded by the industrial research assistance program. In my region, this is producing really interesting results.
I'd like to hear what you have to tell us about this program's importance, but also about the importance of encouraging collaborative ties between SMEs and centres like Innov, at the New Brunswick Community College.