Spark Microsystems Receives $2.2 Million Cleantech Government Investment
It seems like the Canadian government hates that low battery warning as much as the rest of the country.
The Government of Canada announced a $2.2 million investment into the Montreal-based SPARK Microsystems to design, build and test an ultra-low power microchip. This clean technology is aimed at dramatically reducing the overall energy needed to keep mobile devices powered.
The announcement was made by Marc Miller, the MP for Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest–Îles-des-Sœurs in Quebec.
“Investments like the one we are celebrating today are key to Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy,” said Miller. “It is cleantech innovation that will help propel Canada’s economy forward while at the same time creating new jobs and protecting our environment.”
An energy-efficient chip has the potential to reduce the power consumption of devices that are connected to the internet as well as the overall waste created during battery production. Through these innovations, the environment can be affected two-fold: less energy consumption and fewer resources wasted. On top of this, the investment will create well-paying jobs for Canadians.
“Currently, the battery life of a wide range of wireless devices is not sufficient for many applications, leading to high energy consumption, frequent recharge cycles, and batteries that require costly maintenance and generate significant waste,” said Frederic Nabki, the CEO of SPARK Microsystems.
“We have developed a unique wireless technology that is more energy efficient than incumbent technologies. It significantly lowers the energy used by the wireless communications function of a device in order to dramatically lower its reliance on batteries,” he added
This investment is funded through Sustainable Development Technology Canada which works with companies to bring early-stage cleantech into the market to scale. The funding is just a small amount of the overall $1.4 billion that has been made available to clean technology firms by the Business Development Bank of Canada, so it’s safe to say many announcements similar to this one with SPARK Microsystems may be coming soon.
