MP Goguen Highlights UNB Drone Research for New Brunswick Forestry Sector

DIEPPE, NEW BRUNSWICK--(Marketwired - Feb. 11, 2015) - Industry Canada

Robert Goguen, Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, and the Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology), were at Moncton Flight College today to celebrate a recent investment of $98,271 in the University of New Brunswick for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone research project. This is part of the federal government's investment of $27 million for tools and infrastructure at 37 universities across Canada through the Canada Foundation for Innovation's John R. Evans Leaders Fund.

Professor Howard Li and his research team are developing new UAV equipment to measure, monitor and manage Canada's forests. These vehicles will be able to monitor pest outbreak and take aerial surveys in a more cost-effective manner and with less risk to Canadians and the environment. Collaboration with a number of local stakeholders and industry partners, such as Forest Protection Limited and Moncton Flight College, will be an integral part of the project.

As applications for UAVs continue to expand, the demand for highly skilled personnel will grow. As such, Moncton Flight College will be collaborating with Professor Li's team on training, leading the way in developing a certification program for the next generation of UAV operators in Atlantic Canada.

Quick facts

• The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is contributing $27 million to 37 universities across Canada for tools and infrastructure through the John R. Evans Leaders Fund. An additional $8.1 million will go to covering a portion of the operational costs of CFI-funded infrastructure on these campuses.
  
  
• Recently, Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered on the government's commitment to provide an updated science, technology and innovation strategy. The strategy, Seizing Canada's Moment, is a vision and a road map for strengthening Canada's position as a global leader in scientific research while looking to harness greater Canadian innovations that create jobs, increase prosperity and improve the quality of life of Canadians.
  
  
• The CFI's John R. Evans Leaders Fund supports the people, knowledge and innovation pillars of the strategy, providing state-of-the-art tools and research infrastructure to develop highly skilled people and undertake world-class research, some of which is shared with business to improve and develop new products, processes and technologies.
  
  
• The University of New Brunswick also received $253,422 in funding for a second research project that will further enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology.
  
  

Quotes

"Through the updated science, technology and innovation strategy, our government is making the record investments needed to push the boundaries of knowledge, create jobs and prosperity, and improve the quality of life of Canadians. Canada has become a destination of choice for highly talented scientific researchers thanks in part to our support for world-class university and college infrastructure that helps train the next generation of Canadian research talent."

- Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology)

"As today's investment demonstrates, our government's record investments in science, technology and innovation are creating new jobs, new opportunities and greater prosperity in Moncton. With this support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, UNB will develop innovative new drone technology for our forestry sector while training the next generation of drone operators at Moncton Flight College."

- Robert Goguen, Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice

"When the country's researchers have access to state-of-the-art tools and facilities, they can ask bold questions, find remarkable answers, and apply them in new and often unexpected ways. Their discoveries and innovations further Canada's reputation for research excellence."

- Dr. Gilles Patry, President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation

Related product

Full list of funded projects available at Innovation.ca

Associated links

- Canada Foundation for Innovation

- John R. Evans Leaders Fund

- CFI Research Facilities Navigator, a new online directory of CFI-funded labs across the country that are available to collaborate with the private sector

- University of New Brunswick

- Moncton Flight College

- Forest Protection Limited

Follow us on Twitter: @industrycanada