The focus of the Bioindustrial Innovation Centre is to help Canada become a globally recognized leader in taking sustainable feedstock, such as agricultural and forestry by-products and wastes, and turning these renewable resources into energy and value-added chemicals for use in applications ranging from construction to automotive parts.
The BIC plays a major role in translating Southwestern Ontario's strengths in agriculture, chemical and automotive production into new, sustainable bioproducts and renewable energy. It is creating North America's first biotechnology laboratories and shared pilot plant facilities for gasification, pyrolysis, fermentation and bio-conversion – key technologies involved in converting agricultural and forestry by-products into fuels, chemicals, products and materials.
Set up with $15 million in seed funding from the National Centres of Excellence program with renovations partly funded by Ontario's Ministry of Innovation through a $10 million grant, the BIC is designed to help bridge the gap between research and market in chemicals and energy production from biomass. It is located at the Sarnia Lambton Campus of the University of Western Ontario Research Park.