he Canadian Printable Electronics Industry Association (CPEIA) continues to grow its reach across Canada’s robust college sector with the addition of Red River College and Tech-Access Canada to its membership.
 
Red River College and Tech-Access Canada add to a roster of CPEIA members in the college sector that already includes Ahuntsic/ICI, Seneca College and Centennial College.
 
Red River College, a technical college with nine campuses across Manitoba, operates a Research Partnerships and Innovation program. To date, the program has attracted more than $25 million in capital investment to the college, which has helped to support more than 50 research partnerships.
 
With industry support, Red River College has established, or is in the process of establishing, the following applied research centers:
 
• ATEC: Advanced Transportation and Energy Centre
• CARSI: Centre for Applied Research in Sustainable Infrastructure
• CATT: Centre for Aerospace Technology and Training
• CBEP: Centre for Building Envelope Performance
• CNDI: Centre for Non-Destructive Inspection
• EVTEC: Electric Vehicle Technology and Education Centre
• PGI: Paterson Global Foods Institute
• TACAM: Technology Access Centre for Manufacturing & Aerospace Applied Research
 
When it comes to printable and flexible electronics, interaction between other CPEIA Members and Red River College could center on intelligent buildings and smart parts for the aerospace industry.
 
Tech-Access Canada is the national network of Canada’s 30 NSERC-designated Technology Access Centres (TACs). These include research centers at Red River College.
 
TACs are specialized applied research and development centers affiliated with publicly funded colleges and cégeps. These demand-driven centers, from BC to PEI, help Canadian businesses – especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – get their products, processes and services market-ready by offering specialized technical services, providing training related to new types of equipment and processes, and conducting applied research and development projects focused on company problems.
 
Twelve TACs are involved in industry verticals where printable, flexible and wearable technologies have applications, including life sciences, aerospace and automotive. Tech Access Canada will help other CPEIA Members engage with these centers.
 
“Canada’s colleges provide industry with specialized and applied research capabilities to overcome key technical hurdles to commercialization,” said Peter Kallai, president and CEO of the CPEIA. “A highly collaborative approach across faculties, such as software, electronics and lifesciences, ensures a project has the multidisciplinary expertise it needs, right on campus. Each of these R&D centers already has a relationship with a local industry base of companies that could become end-users for printable and flexible electronics. I encourage CPEIA members to work with colleges on integration projects to bring world-class products to market.”