Collaborations with UVic seem to be the theme of the week for us here at Victoria Tech Journal. On Wednesday, we told you of the Gustavson Business School field trip hosted by VIATEC. Now, a pair of UVic link-ups with local companies have been awarded government funding.

Innovate BC gave nearly $1.4 million to five B.C. research and development projects in natural resources and applied sciences, through its Ignite program. Two hail from Victoria:

• VoxCell BioInnovation and Dr. Alexandre Brolo of UVic were awarded $300,000 to develop fully vascularized, human-like cancer tissue models by combining a custom high-resolution 3D bioprinter, advanced vascularized software, and proprietary bioinks.
• RepliCel Life Sciences and Dr. Mohsen Akbari of UVic were awarded $165,000 to develop smart microcarriers for high-density culture of therapeutic cells, without the use of enzymes.

Each year, Innovate’s Ignite program selects research projects in the natural resources and applied sciences, awarding up to $300,000 per project. To date, it has funded 46 projects, for a total value of $12 million.

News also didn’t stop there for the crown agency. It also partnered with InBC, PacifiCan, and New Ventures BC to launch a new online platform that provides a comprehensive and dynamic view of British Columbia’s capital and business landscape. Available now, Capital Compass BC offers centralized intelligence on startups, scaleups, investors, entrepreneurial resources, and investment capital flow within the province.

“While British Columbia continues to thrive and lead across many sectors, companies in our province will benefit from enhanced knowledge of available capital, resulting in stronger global partnerships and growth potential for B.C.,” said Innovate’s interim president and CEO Tomica Divic. “Through Capital Compass BC, we hope that business and investment entities working within our region will be better equipped to effectively find and access local funding sources and investment opportunities to support their development.”