Government of Canada has announced more than $552 million through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Innovation Fund to equip researchers with cutting‑edge tools and facilities that accelerate discovery, strengthen economic resilience, and deliver long-term benefits for Canadians.
The investment supports 92 research infrastructure projects at 32 institutions across the country, advancing work in health care, clean energy, quantum technologies, AI, sustainable agriculture, and ocean science. MP Sidhu underscored the importance of strong research infrastructure to keep Canadian talent at home, attract global partnerships, and translate discoveries into real-world outcomes for communities and industry.
“Ontario’s researchers and innovators are building the solutions that power our economy and improve people’s lives. This federal investment will equip world‑class teams with the tools they need to accelerate breakthroughs—in health technology, clean energy, advanced materials, and AI—while creating good jobs and supporting commercialization right here at home. It’s a smart, forward‑looking investment in Ontario’s leadership and Canada’s prosperity.” said Sonia Sidhu, Member of Parliament
This national investment will deliver significant benefits for Ontario’s innovation economy. At McMaster University, the Canadian Neutron and Positron Beam Laboratory (CNBL)—Canada’s only access point to neutron beams—will expand capabilities that are essential to advanced materials research. These upgrades will help Ontario researchers and industry partners develop safer nuclear fuel storage, improve carbon capture, design next‑generation batteries, and explore superconducting materials for fusion energy, quantum processors, and advanced MRI technologies. By strengthening this core facility, the funding supports Ontario’s health‑tech ecosystem, clean‑energy transition, and manufacturing competitiveness, while training highly qualified personnel and deepening industry‑academic collaboration across the province.
Complementing Ontario’s strengths, the broader national portfolio reinforces key sectors that also benefit Ontario’s firms and research networks—from quantum materials development in British Columbia and microelectronics commercialization in Quebec to sustainable agriculture advances in Saskatchewan and enhanced ocean monitoring capabilities in Nova Scotia. These interconnected facilities will help Ontario companies access specialized tools, scale prototypes, and participate in cross‑Canada collaboration—accelerating commercialization in semiconductors and energy‑efficient AI, supporting supply chains for clean technologies, and expanding opportunities for Ontario’s SMEs to partner with universities and core facilities across the country.
Quote from the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry
“Canada is focused on investing in researchers and innovators to advance bold scientific breakthroughs as we build the kind of scientific and academic powerhouse that drives the strongest economy in the G7. This investment through the Canada Foundation for Innovation will equip researchers with cutting‑edge, world‑class facilities that strengthen Canada’s research infrastructure, accelerate discoveries, and create new opportunities that will benefit Canadians across industries.”