Red River College gets $4.6M in federal funding for 2 projects
Investing in colleges is 'a new concept,' says MaryAnn Mihychuk
Red River College has received a $4.6-million boost for research and development.
MaryAnn Mihychuk, the federal minister of employment, workforce development and labour, toured the college's Notre Dame campus in Winnipeg on Wednesday and announced the funding, which is part of an injection of $36 million into 32 R&D projects across Canada.
The money for Red River is for two projects:
- One will allow the college's School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts to expand its research capabilities into new processes in the food manufacturing and food service industries.
- The other project will enable the college's Vehicle Technology and Energy Centre to further expand research into reducing vehicle emissions and finding renewable fuel sources.
Investing in colleges is "a new concept," Mihychuk said.
"In the old days, the only ones that did research were universities. The way of the future says that it's important for us to link our industries, our businesses, with colleges — that those [institutions] can make very quick turnaround and actual, practical innovations for our economy," she said.
"We're facing the fourth industrial revolution, where jobs will be transformed because of artificial intelligence. 3D printers, the internet and innovation that brings is going to explode.