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The Digital Technology Supercluster is paving the way for Canada to become a global leader in technological innovation. Currently, the Digital Technology Supercluster supports five program streams dedicated to solving unique challenges related to digital technology. Learn more about these program streams to see if your innovative business can participate in the initiative.
Understanding the Digital Technology Supercluster
The Government of Canada created the Innovation Superclusters Initiative to help organizations collaborate on projects that enhance technological leadership and economic growth. This program consists of five Superclusters, one of which is the Digital Technology Supercluster. This Supercluster helps pioneering organizations find the support needed to address pressing global issues.
The Digital Technology Supercluster stimulates collaborative technology efforts between large corporations, smaller enterprises, research groups, and post-secondary institutions. It also provides co-investment opportunities to a selection of these collective projects to help drive innovation, economic growth, and productivity throughout Canada.
The Impact of the Digital Technology Supercluster
Since it began, the Digital Technology Supercluster has ignited several positive changes nationwide. It has led to more than 80 new projects and over 130 new products and services in the research and development field and created over 2,500 full-time employment opportunities to strengthen Canada’s digitally-skilled workforce. Researchers believe the Digital Supercluster will generate 20,000 new positions by 2028 and may raise over $1 billion in revenue for businesses nationwide.
What Programs Does the Digital Technology Supercluster Support?
The Digital Technology Supercluster invests in industry-led initiatives that respond to Canadian environmental, health, industrial, and workforce needs. These projects must also stimulate local, regional, and national economies to help the country harness global leadership in digital technology. To support these innovative activities, the Supercluster focuses on the following five program areas:
COVID-19
This stream was created to help organizations respond to health and safety challenges brought on by COVID-19. It enables organizations to develop technological solutions to the multi-faceted problems related to the pandemic. This stream seeks to enhance digital technology in multiple areas, including:
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- Diagnosis, vaccination, and treatment options
- Community healthcare access
- Health system management
- Safer living
- Preparation for future health crises
Data Commons
The Data Commons stream allows the Supercluster to drive digital solutions to information management. This program helps supercluster members develop applications and systems that streamline business processes. Several of the projects under this stream have led to significant environmental impacts, including:
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- Augmenting the timber harvesting supply chain with the Internet of Things (IoT) data
- Employing precision agriculture to protect crops from pests
- Measuring climate change through data analytics and satellite imagery
- Utilizing digital surveillance to safeguard ocean fisheries
Digital Twins
A digital twin is a virtual model of a physical item or system that helps industries make better decisions with the actual product. The Supercluster uses this stream to support the creation of digital production environments for simulation and training purposes. Through this initiative, technologies will enhance analytics-based processes for businesses. The Digital Twins program helps improve numerous industries, including:
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- Aerospace
- Aviation
- Low-impact mining
- Wellness coaching
Precision Health
The Digital Technology Supercluster seeks to break ground in the healthcare sector through the Precision Health stream. This program supports projects targeted at creating solutions to numerous aspects of health and wellbeing, including:
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- Data sharing to help providers learn more about conditions and disabilities
- Disease prevention
- Drug abuse mitigation
- Predictive diagnosis
- Personalized treatment options
- Equal access to health services
- Remote care opportunities
- Secure health data management
Talent and Capacity
Canada needs innovative and skilled workers to ensure the long-term growth of digital technology across industries. The Capacity Building stream helps stimulate talent by co-investing in exploratory projects and strategies initiatives. Exploratory activities are small efforts focused on new ideas, while strategic initiatives are large plans with global implications.
This stream also promotes greater diversity in the tech industry by creating job opportunities for women, Indigenous people, youth, and other underrepresented groups.
Fund Digital Technology Initiatives with Easly
The Digital Technology Supercluster initiative provides co-investment in ground-breaking projects and support across the sector. There’s a high likelihood that companies participating in the initiative are also eligible to receive an SR&ED refund. With Easly, companies can bring their SR&ED refund forward so they can make use of it throughout the year. If your business conducts research and development to enhance digital technology in Canada, you most likely are eligible for SR&ED tax credits.
At Easly, we help innovative companies obtain advances on these credits and receive non-dilutive funding through our Capital-as-a-Service platform. If you want to learn more about financing digital technology projects, schedule a 15-minute introductory call with us today.
