Backgrounder

February 20, 2009

BUILDING ONTARIO’S ECONOMY THROUGH GREEN TECHNOLOGY

EcoVu is an Ottawa company offering new technology for analyzing and purifying water. The company has a developed a one-step contaminant trapping process that can be used onsite for both analysis and purification. This means samples can be analyzed immediately, instead of being sent to a lab, which can take up to five days to report on results.

With five patents and a winner for two years running of a Canada’s Top Ten Cleantech Competition Award, and Company of the Year for 2008, EcoVu has established the credibility of its technology. Now it needs to bring its technology successfully to market.

INNOVATION DEMONSTRATION FUND

The world is looking for jurisdictions that can develop clean technologies that reduce our environmental footprint on the planet.

Ontario’s four-year, $30-million Innovation Demonstration Fund helps innovative companies like EcoVu commercialize promising new clean technologies by supporting them at the pilot or demonstration project stage. These projects help companies attract the lead customers and investors they need to move their technology to the global marketplace.

The $4-million investment in EcoVu will help support six demonstration projects in Ontario. These include radionuclide detection and removal at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited in Chalk River, purification projects in partnership with Carleton University and Algonquin College in Ottawa, and contaminant detection projects for the City of Ottawa, Quinte Conservation Area and Ministry of the Environment.

The Ontario government, through the Innovation Demonstration Fund, has invested in ten promising Ontario cleantech companies.

ONTARIO’S INNOVATION AGENDA

Supporting innovation is part of the McGuinty government’s five-point plan for growing Ontario’s economy. Ontario’s Innovation Agenda is the government’s plan to help turn great ideas into good jobs for the future and better lives for Ontario families.

Backed by close to $3 billion in spending over eight years, the agenda focuses on supporting innovation and growth in sectors where Ontario has the research and business strengths to dominate high-growth global markets. Tackling climate change through bio-based, environmental, alternative energy and clean technologies is one of Ontario’s priorities.

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See also:

• News Release: New Clean Water Technology Creates Jobs In Ontario
• Backgrounder: Innovation Demonstration Fund Projects
• Backgrounder: Success Stories
• For the media: High definition A-roll (sound bites), B-roll and high resolution images