A partnership between the University of Northern British Columbia and a Vancouver Island fish packing plant has landed $300,000 from Innovate BC.
With the help of UNBC's Northern Analytical Laboratory Services, Campbell River’s Browns Bay Packing Company Ltd., is formulating a renewable and fully biodegradable hybrid packaging solution.
"This research will provide a substitute for a fossil fuel-derived product that could solve a variety of packaging problems,” said Dr. Hossein Kazemian, who head the laboratory.
“The results of the research will establish Canada as a world leader by providing an environmentally friendly solution to a real-world problem.
"It will also increase ‘know-how’ and expand Canadian business into competitive world markets, as well as provide a potential solution for other Canadian businesses needing replacements for their non-sustainable isolative packaging materials.”
The project was among eight B.C. research and development projects to receive a share of $2.3 million from Innovate BC.
They are chosen based on their promising commercial and technical viability as well as the ability to be market ready within three years.
Projects must also address an industry problem with the potential for significant benefit to British Columbia and be realized by a group of academic and industry members.
Innovate BC has provided more $10.7 million in funding to 41 research projects in the natural resources and applied sciences over the past eight years.
