Next Generation Manufacturing (NGen), the industry-led organisation behind Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, has announced the awarding of $6 million in collaborative funding for a project led by Genecis Bioindustries.

The goal is to develop, scale and integrate a biotechnology platform to upcycle food waste into premium sustainable bioplastics and biofibres.

Genecis, in partnership with StormFisher, a developer and operator of organic waste and clean energy solutions, will integrate a demonstration-scale technology unit with an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant to convert organic waste feedstock into high-value PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) biopolymers.

The platform leverages existing infrastructure to upcycle waste into high value materials and chemicals, contributing to a circular and bio-based economy.

The first PHA resins will serve as replacements for packaging, agricultural plastics, medical plastics, and additive manufacturing filaments. The demonstration project will take place et the StormFisher Resource Recovery Centre in Drumbo, Ontario, designed to recycle discarded packaged food and municipal green bin waste.

Producing large quantities of high performance PHAs from these streams will create significant economic and environmental value for both the organic waste and plastic industries. The aim is to cement Canada’s position as a technology leader in biomanufacturing.

“This project highlights NGen’s focus on transformative advanced manufacturing solutions,” said Jayson Myers, Ngen CEO. “The Genecis project uses advanced manufacturing technologies to fundamentally transform an existing process, providing Canadian manufacturers with access to high value materials, creating a competitive advantage in the green economy, and developing a waste solution that addresses a global environmental issue.”

To date, NGen has approved 105 projects with 242 industry partners, investing $181.2 million of funding and leveraging $437.5 million in total project investment. NGen investments have led to $32 million in new R&D investments by industry, created 15 new companies, supported 63 new products in development and enabled the creation of 177 new IP assets and subsequent licensing opportunities for NGen members.

www.ngen.ca