Picture this scenario: You’re a manufacturer who designs and sells customized products. A customer’s order was shipped last week and was supposed to arrive yesterday, however the shipment was not delivered. Your client calls you and starts panicking because the product they ordered was required to fulfill a promise for one of their clients. This…
Ferrero International is the world’s third-largest manufacturer and distributor of confectionary goods. The company, best known for their chocolate treats, has an expansive network of 22 manufacturing facilities worldwide including Canadian operations in Brantford, Ontario. Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Tic Tac, and Kinder Surprise are just some of the products made there. The company’s Canadian subsidiary,…
Update: Please access this article for current intakes of the Interactive Digital Media Fund. Digital technologies are transforming the way that people live, work, and consume information. To help media production companies keep up with the shift towards interactive, digital content, government grants are available to offset some of the costs associated with product definition and…
Recently, my office took part in a training session that used theatrical improv to help develop business communication skills. Throughout the course of the day, as we performed various verbal exercises in groups, it became clear that some of us relished the chance to have all eyes upon us, while others found it unsettling. Either…
Bio-industry companies are at the leading edge of sustainable science and innovation. These businesses develop agricultural or forestry by-products/waste and transform them into valuable chemical additives that can be used for a range of products such as bio-fuels, plastic packaging, or even automotive parts. Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) is an organization who focuses on helping…
Update: The National Research Council (NRC) now offers project-based funding through a single Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP). Please visit the NRC-IRAP Research Project Contributions page for more information. Innovative Canadian businesses who invest heavily in internal research and development activities understand the strain that it can put on company resources. SMEs are heavily impacted…
NSERC Engage is a collaborative research and development program where businesses may access university researchers to help solve an innovative technological problem. Recently, 10 NSERC Engage partnerships were formed between Canadian companies and Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Computer Science. In addition to helping businesses find academic partners to help conduct R&D projects, businesses who apply…
Exporting is one of the most important growth strategies used by businesses across Canada. Nearly 73,000 Canadian small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) leverage new markets and opportunities outside of the country by exporting goods or services. This, however, only accounted for 11.8% of SMEs in Canada signaling that there is reluctance among Canadian businesses to…
Treasure Mills Inc. has been recently announced as recipients of the Growing Forward 2 Ontario government funding program. The company will leverage up to $100,000 in Ontario small business grants to purchase/install automated baking and washing equipment while also improving their drainage and refrigeration systems. The Aurora, Ontario food processor is the latest of many…
British Columbia is emerging as a national leader for innovative technology development within the agricultural industry. To stimulate this growth, the federal and B.C. provincial government have partnered to provide grants to businesses, industry associations, and non-profits who are commercializing or adopting innovative products, processes, or technologies for use in the agri-food industry. The Canada-BC…