On Sept. 28, 2007, the National Institute for Nanotechnology’s (NINT) Innovation Centre at the University of Alberta officially opened with the objective to help Canadian companies exploit the potential of nanotechnology and to foster the growth of an Edmonton-area cluster of companies that utilize nanotechnology.

In 2005, the Government of Canada committed of $3.8 million to the University of Alberta for the NINT Innovation Centre.

The Centre occupies the fourth floor of the NINT building and consists of 15 rental units of combined office and laboratory space. Current tenants include five companies and a research group from the NINT-XEROX Canada industrial research partnership.

Capital costs for the Centre were $5.7 million. Western Economic Diversification Canada contributed $3.8 for construction and designing of the fourth floor, as well as outfitting and furnishing for-lease offices and labs. The Government of Alberta contributed $1,897,500 towards construction of the floor. Rental revenue is used to cover the operating costs of the Centre.

Advanced research undertaken at NINT, Canada’s flagship nanotechnology institute, fosters innovation in support of a new generation of nanotechnology-based firms. Through a special partnership, the National Research Council (NRC) and the University of Alberta have created a unique multidisciplinary environment where researchers from numerous fields are working towards the advancement of nanotechnology.