CRC - Communications Research Centre Canada - Innovation Centre

Since 1994, Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC) has been operating an Innovation Centre that provides small (including start-ups) and medium-sized Canadian companies access to CRC technologies, expertise and specialized facilities and testbeds. For a fee, the Innovation Centre can provide furnished or unfurnished office space as well as access to laboratories and specialized equipment. The Innovation Centre also provides access to excellent networking opportunities and business resources.

Eligibility Criteria

Those eligible to apply for the Innovation Centre program are Canadian corporations with a:

• specific need for CRC technology, expertise, or access to testbeds;
• business plan; and
• CRC sponsor/mentor willing to support their proposal.

How does one find a CRC sponsor/mentor?

The CRC Innovation Centre manager will meet with you to discuss your needs and see whether there is a CRC researcher working in a compatible R&D area. If all parties agree that there is a good match and are willing, then the researcher may become the company's sponsor/mentor.

Summary

The CRC Innovation Centre is a great place for fledgling companies to test their wings, and its focus is helping these young companies take flight. CRC also accepts established companies requiring CRC expertise or facilities to carry out R&D on a new product.

If you're a growing Canadian firm trying to develop new communication products or services without major investments in capital equipment and facilities, you stand to benefit from the Innovation Centre program.  

As an Innovation Centre client, you have access to:
Affordable Space

• furnished offices, office equipment and laboratory space at affordable rates;
• CRC's secure site could mean lower insurance rates for you;
• space allocation and fee schedule tailored to suit your needs, based on the services you use.

World-Class Researchers  

• more than 230 research scientists, engineers and technologists, all leading experts in their fields, which include:

Leading-Edge Technologies

• a sophisticated portfolio of patents and protected technologies ready for commercial exploitation, including:

Unique Facilities

Satellite Communications

• Earth-Space Propagation Measurement Facility
• Radio Channel Characterization Laboratory

Broadband Network Technologies

• Broadband Applications and Demonstration Laboratory (BADLAB)  
• Microelectronics Facility

Terrestrial Wireless

• Digital Integrated Circuit CAD and Test Facility
• Microwave Component Development and Measurement Facility
• Wireless and Inter-networking Systems Experimentation Laboratory
• Antenna Test Facility
• Electromagnetic Compatibility Measurement Laboratory

Broadcast Technology

• Advanced Video Systems
• Advanced Audio Systems
• Television Systems and Transmission
• Radio Broadcast Systems and Transmission

Business Development Assistance

• referral to an Industrial Technology Advisor for the NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP);
• help finding funding specialists;
• access to economic development groups such as the Ottawa Economic Development Corporation (OEDC);
• invitations to business breakfast meetings, courses, marketing opportunities (e.g. trade shows);
• access to Industry Canada business development programs offering international marketing assistance, business diagnostic services, partnering, technical seminars and business information services.

Networking Opportunities

• direct links to universities and CRC's R&D partners;  
• opportunities to network with other incubating companies at various stages of growth and development;
• memberships to the Federal Partners in Technology Transfer (FPTT), the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI), the National Business Incubators Association (NBIA) and the Canadian Association of Business Incubators (CABI), providing excellent networking opportunities, invitations to industry events and access to specialized technology databases.

Centralized Support Services

• Library: access to more than 300 subscriptions and 15 000 documents related to telecommunications; patent and bibliographic searches, acquisitions and cataloguing available on a contractual basis;
• Technical Support Services: IT support, graphic arts design and production, technical design (CAD/CAM), printed circuit board prototyping, and model shop services;
• auditorium;
• conference rooms;
• cafeteria and catering services, including private dining room;
• fitness facility;
• mail, shipping and receiving.

Quebec Contact(s):
See National Contact.

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National Contact(s):
Marie Lussier
Manager, CRC Innovation Centre
Communications Research Centre Canada
Industry Canada
3701 Carling Avenue
Box 11490, Station H
Ottawa, Ontario  K2H 8S2
Telephone: 613-991-1635
Fax: 613-998-5355
E-mail: marie.lussier@crc.ca
Web site: http://crc.ca/en/html/crc/home/home