Montreal, July 31, 2018 – The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister for Sport and Persons with Disabilities, yesterday announced the winners of the 2018 competition of the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. As one of the CECR recipients, MEDTEQ receives a $19.5 million grant.

 

The result of a strategic mobilization of the medtech industry

The new CECR tools will focus on strategic and financial support for Canadian medtech innovations. They are therefore highly complementary to those already offered to companies, scientists and clinicians by MEDTEQ whose network includes close to 140 members: SMEs and large healthcare technology companies, universities, teaching hospitals and support organizations. The MEDTEQ network, born in Quebec, now has a Canadian reach. Collaboration will remain at the heart of all its initiatives.

It is thanks to the extensive mobilization of its members and numerous partners from across Canada that MEDTEQ is one of today’s CECR recipients. The consortium also wishes to acknowledge the significant support of the Government of Quebec since the beginning of its activities and particularly in the context of its CECR proposal.

National and international tools for the valorisation of innovations

The new CECR tools target the valorisation of innovations and their integration into real healthcare settings, thus complementing the tools already coordinated by MEDTEQ: the Regroupement Sectoriel de Recherche Industrielle (RSRI) and the Fonds de Soutien à Innovation en Santé et en Services sociaux (FSISSS) programs.

As a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research, MEDTEQ extends its field of action. Collaborations with partners across the country will aim to support the medtech sector, particularly innovative SMEs, and position Canada as an international leader in medical technologies. A new investment programme for SMEs has been put in place, as well as local and international stepping stones to boost their commercialization and outreach.

“I would like to congratulate the successful applicants of the most recent CECR program competition. We are pleased to help these centres bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization to enable the sustainable development of natural resources in the North and create healthier communities in Canada. These connections, forged between clusters of research expertise and the business community, harness Canada’s best talent to provide industry-relevant technologies, products and services that will benefit us all.”– Jean Saint-Vil, Associate Vice-President, Networks of Centres of Excellence.

“We are very grateful for such a vote of confidence from the federal government, and proud to be recognized as a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research. With this new program, support in the field for the Canadian medtech industry will increase significantly. I would like to thank all our members and partners for their support: the CECR tools designed by and for them are now being deployed! ” – Diane Côté, President and CEO of MEDTEQ.

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About the Networks of Centres of Excellence

Canada’s global economic competitiveness depends on making new discoveries and transforming them into products, services and processes that improve the lives of Canadians. To meet this challenge, the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) offers a suite of programs that mobilize Canada’s best research, development and entrepreneurial expertise and focus it on specific issues and strategic areas. http://www.nce-rce.gc.ca

About MEDTEQ

MEDTEQ’s mission is, through collaborative industry led projects, to accelerate innovation and position, on a global scale, products and services developed by the Canadian medical technology industry, thereby generating major economic impacts while improving healthcare systems for the ultimate benefit of patients in Canada and around the world. http://www.medteq.ca

 

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