Waterloo Region organizations to support local businesses and entrepreneurs to boost Canadian solutions in clean technology and advanced manufacturing

Government of Canada investing nearly $9 million to support over 130 businesses in the region

February 12, 2025 – Waterloo, Ontario 

The Government of Canada is committed to supporting businesses and the organizations that support them as they drive sustainable growth and innovation and shape a resilient and prosperous future for southern Ontario’s economy.

Today, the Honourable Ruby Sahota, Minister of Democratic Institutions

and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), visited the Waterloo Accelerator (Accelerator Centre) to learn about how the organization is enhancing the AC:Studio program to help more clean tech companies bring products and solutions to market. Minister Sahota was joined by the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Member of Parliament for Waterloo; Bryan May, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Small Business and to the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and Member of Parliament for Cambridge and Valerie Bradford, Member of Parliament for Kitchener South–Hespeler.

While there, Minister Sahota announced nearly $9 million for two organizations in the Waterloo Region to support Canadian solutions in clean technology and advanced manufacturing. This includes over $3.9 million for the Accelerator Centre to launch new Sustainable Development cohorts of AC:Studio. Launching later this year following the successful pilot cohort of the program, the enhanced AC:Studio program will provide over 45 high-potential startups with funding, mentorship and operational support as they focus on reducing carbon emissions, driving energy efficiency and advancing clean growth.

Minister Sahota also announced $5 million for the University of Waterloo to create the Consortium for Sustainable Scale-up in Metal Additive Manufacturing (CSS-MAM), building on the success of the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing lab. This new hub will focus on bringing Canadian businesses together to drive innovation and growth opportunities in Ontario's advanced manufacturing sector. It will support over 85 businesses, while preparing our future workforce with critical skills. In collaboration with the MSAM lab, it will foster Canadian solutions to reduce the environmental impact of the advanced manufacturing sector, focusing on waste and CO2 reduction, digital manufacturing and the development of local supply chain clusters.

These investments underscore the Government of Canada's ongoing commitment to supporting our businesses and entrepreneurs as they foster sustainable, homegrown innovation while contributing to the growth of southern Ontario and Canada’s economy.  

Quotes

“To protect our local economies and increase the capacity of local supply chains, we need to support homegrown solutions that drive innovation, create good-paying jobs for Canadians, and tackle climate change. Today’s investments highlights the Government of Canada’s continued commitment to driving innovation and sustainable growth across key sectors, ensuring that Canadian solutions lead the way.”
– The Honourable Ruby Sahota, Minister of Democratic Institutions and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

“Businesses create good jobs for Canadians and play an important role in keeping our economy strong. Today’s announcement is great news for the Waterloo Region, our province, and country as these initiatives will continue to drive innovation and sustainability in key sectors while building a greener, more resilient economy.”
– The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Member of Parliament for Waterloo

“By supporting organizations that help Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs we are creating opportunities for growth in key sectors across southern Ontario and reinforcing this region’s strong commitment to made-in-Canada excellence.”
– Valerie Bradford, Member of Parliament for Kitchener South–Hespeler

“Entrepreneurs are at the heart of the Ontario economy. The AC:Studio program ensures that founders in Southern Ontario have access to the critical funding, mentorship, and tactical supports they need to bring their ideas to market and scale. This renewed funding from FedDev Ontario strengthens our ability support Ontario-made innovations that are solving real-world challenges in sectors aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals—from climate tech to health innovation and beyond. We are incredibly grateful for FedDev Ontario’s continued support and commitment to building a more resilient, sustainable economy through entrepreneurship.”
– Ruth Casselman, CEO, Accelerator Centre 

“The creation of CSS-MAM will allow the University of Waterloo to leverage our talent and proven track record of industry partnerships to support R&D for even more startups and small and medium enterprises. Importantly, it allows for direct industry access to advanced facilities to achieve agile solutions.  It also supports industry-focused training for the skilled workforce of tomorrow. By advancing the scale up of domestic sustainable supply-chain clusters, CSS-MAM envisions a green and prosperous future for the economies of southern Ontario and Canada.”
– Charmaine Dean Vice-President, Research and Innovation, University of Waterloo 

Quick facts

• Waterloo Region, comprised of Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge, is one of the fastest-growing innovation hubs in the world, home to an incredible source of talent in the technology, AI, manufacturing and automotive sectors.

• Incorporated in 2004, the Waterloo Accelerator Centre is a not-for-profit organization t focused on building and growing innovative companies through accelerator programming and mentorship.

• Established in 1957, the University of Waterloo is ranked number one in Canada for experiential learning and employer-student connections.

• The Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Lab offers companies access to the largest team of experts in the field in the country and world-class equipment.

• Since November 2015, FedDev Ontario has invested over $290 million in more than 240 projects in the Waterloo Region, supporting more than 57,000 jobs.