The Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program bridges the gap between research and commercialization. The program matches clusters of research expertise with the business community to share the knowledge and resources that bring innovative products and processes to market faster. Centres advance research and facilitate commercialization within priority areas for the Government of Canada.

Centres adopt different models to best serve the commercialization needs of their sector, including acting as investors, incubators or service providers. With revenue sources that range from fee-for service and membership fees to product sales, royalties and equity in start-up companies, each CECR has a mandate to become self-sustaining while maximizing economic impact for its partners.

The CECR program was created in 2007 and currently supports 23 active centres across the country.

The most recent CECR competition resulted in two new centres being awarded funding totaling $29 million over five years (2016-2021):

Centre for Commercialization of Cancer Immunotherapy – C3i
Headquarters: Montreal, QC
Immunotherapy is a rapidly emerging practice that harnesses the power of the immune system to combat cancer. It could revolutionize cancer care by developing nontoxic, highly efficient and decisive cures that do not rely on chemotherapeutic agents, thus improving patients’ quality of life and reducing healthcare costs. The Centre for Commercialization of Cancer Immunotherapy (C3i) will accelerate access to innovative cancer immunotherapies for patients. Operating out of the Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont facility of the Centres intégrés universitaires de santé et de services sociaux de l’Est-de-l’île-de-Montréal, the centre will be a one-stop-shop for the development, translation and commercialization of these groundbreaking therapies. C3i will combine three interacting units that provide patients with cutting edge biomarker and diagnostics tests, good manufacturing practices standards and rapid access to clinical trials and regulatory support to bring effective and affordable remedies more rapidly to Canadians and the world. This will position Canada as a leader in the emerging field of cancer immunotherapy.
Natural Products Canada – NPC
Headquarters: Charlottetown, PE
Natural Products Canada (NPC) will help establish Canada as a global leader in research, development and commercialization of natural products, focusing on nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals; functional foods and food ingredients; agricultural products, animal feed ingredients and veterinary care products; and green replacements for chemically derived products. The nationwide network of nodes brings together Ag-WestBio Inc. (NPC-West), the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (NPC-ON), the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval (NPC-Quebec) and the PEI BioAlliance (NPC-Atlantic). Drawing on a pipeline of companies, research organizations and universities, NPC will evaluate, scientifically validate and invest in products and technologies, and accelerate their commercialization.