Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) is a nationally focused not-for-profit business accelerator that provides critical strategic investment, advice and services to business developers of clean, green and sustainable technologies. In 2015, BIC established the Centre for Commercialization of Sustainable Chemistry Innovation (COMM SCI) initiative, which acts as a hub for the commercialization of sustainable chemistry and bio-based innovation. With support from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), BIC has developed the Ontario Bioindustrial Innovation Network (OBIN). OBIN is committed to the growth of the Hybrid Chemistry Cluster in Sarnia-Lambton and to enabling the launch of a new Sustainable Chemistry Cluster in the Eastern Ontario St. Lawrence Corridor region centred around Brockville and Maitland. BIC further focuses on critical strategic capital investment in SME’s with compelling business plans where innovation in science and engineering can bring about major advances in sustainable chemistry. Sustainable chemistry is playing an important role in the development of solutions to the impacts of climate change, peak oil, energy security, the need for safe water and the use of scarce natural resources. The increasing global demand for green and safer products offers the opportunity to create thousands of new jobs for Canadians. BIC’s proven approach for clean, green and sustainable chemistry-based companies offers an ideal platform for the investment necessary to advance hybrid chemistry value chains, providing not only regional economic development and job benefits, but access to global markets.
