Related news
Discover more stories about Mitacs — and the game-changing innovations driven by students and postdocs.
Today, the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, announced federal funding to support Mitacs’ efforts in strengthening the knowledge based economy, supporting business growth and international competitiveness in Western Canada during her keynote address at the Mitacs inaugural Globalink Symposium.
“Our Government’s top priority is creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity,” said Minister Yelich. “Through this project we will strengthen Western Canada’s international engagement and foster commercialization and business development.”
The funding provided by Western Economic Diversification Canada is directed towards Mitacs to help facilitate three main internship programs – Globalink, Accelerate and Elevate. The $8.75 million federal investment is expected to help over 900 students complete internships across Western Canada over two and a half years.
“Providing opportunities for highly-skilled researchers, both domestic and international, and showing them the research and innovation opportunities in this country is good for the West and indeed, all of Canada,” said Dr. Arvind Gupta, CEO & Scientific Director of Mitacs. “I would like to thank Minister Yelich and the Government of Canada for this new funding for Mitacs programs.”
The Accelerate and Elevate programs will enable interns to work on the commercialization of new products, technologies and services, while enhancing new business processes and competitiveness. The Globalink program attracts international students to Canadian universities to develop linkages between Canada and emerging economies, which encourages relationships with potential future leaders and entrepreneurs from other countries.
Mitacs, a national research network headquartered in British Columbia, connects academia, industry and the public sector to develop cutting-edge tools to support the growth of Canada’s knowledge-based economy. Mitacs also facilitates connections with top researchers from around the world and provides training to the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs.
Western Economic Diversification Canada works to create jobs and economic growth in the western Canadian economy. By promoting new economic opportunities, WD is securing a more diverse and prosperous future for the West while advancing western interests at the national level.