Centres of Excellence for Commercialization & Research

The Government of Canada, through its Networks of Centres of Excellence, created the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research in 2007 to advance research and facilitate commercialization of technologies, products and services within the four priority areas identified in the federal Science and Technology (S&T) Strategy. The four areas are: Environment; Natural Resources and Energy; Health and Life Sciences; and Information and Communications Technologies.

There are currently 17 active CECRs. The centres focus on biotechnology, digital media, drug research and development, energy efficiency, personalized medicine, green chemistry, cancer treatment, ocean observatories, and prostate cancer research, as well as many other areas.

Building on the success of the original Networks of Centres of Excellence program which funds research, the CECR program supports the operating expenses of a centre, and the commercialization of such research. The CECR program helps bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization, allowing new products and technologies to go to market more easily.