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Ontario awards $2.5 million to Queen’s startup company to expand advanced monitoring platform for municipal water systems
Funding accelerates growth of ENDETEC, global sensor platform of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies
May 26, 2010
KINGSTON, ON – A Queen’s University startup company founded on university researchers’ determination to find a faster, more effective way to monitor municipal water systems, has received $2.5 million from the Ontario government to expand their product development program in Kingston, Ontario.
The funding, from the Innovation Demonstration Fund of the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, also marks the official transformation of Pathogen Detection Systems, Inc. into ENDETEC, the global sensor platform of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies (VWS) of Paris, France.
Spurred into existence by the Walkerton, Ontario tainted water tragedy, PDS was founded on novel fibre optic sensor technology developed by Dr. Stephen Brown and a team of Queen’s and industry researchers. The technology was protected and licensed by PARTEQ Innovations, the technology transfer office of Queen’s. The patented PDS system provides laboratory-grade testing for E.coli and other coliform bacteria with improved speed, reliability and productivity over current methods.
Now known as ENDETEC, the company is expanding its portfolio and will develop a range of microbiological and chemical sensing technologies being made available to the group. ENDETEC is also experiencing significant expansion, with the continuation of a three-year, $8.7 million development project for its next generation water monitoring systems.
ENDETEC also intends to grow its research partnership with Queen’s University. In the last five years ENDETEC has invested approximately $1 million in direct research and development contracts with Queen’s. Over the next three years the total R&D activity with Queen’s is planned to increase to more than $2.3 million.
New employment opportunities will also arise as the company continues to increase in size. Originating with five people at the time of its integration with VWS, ENDETEC expects that the funding will help create 20 new highly skilled jobs by the end of 2010.
“This growth is an important step in the development of an advanced monitoring platform within VWS,” says David Dolphin, President of ENDETEC. “This funding from the Innovation Demonstration Fund helped to ensure that ENDETEC remained headquartered in Kingston and we plan to expand with a significant product development program.”
The expansion of ENDETEC is good news for Kingston, says Jeff Garrah, CEO of KEDCO. “The province’s ongoing investment in local companies through programs such as the Innovation Demonstration Fund acknowledges Kingston’s strengths in research and commercialization. It also shows once again that Kingston is able to work on a global scale and we’re delighted that ENDETEC will continue to work and grow in Kingston.”
The announcement was made at Innovation Park at Queen’s Univedrsity by the Honourable John Gerretsen, MPP for Kingston and the Islands.
About Veolia:
Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies (VWS), the world leader in water treatment, is a specialized provider of technological solutions and design-build services to meet the needs of public authorities and industrial companies. It is a fully-owned subsidiary of Veolia Water, the global leader in water services. With 9,500 employees worldwide, VWS recorded revenues of $ 3.6 billion (USD) in 2008.
Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environnement, is the world leader in water and wastewater services. Specialized in outsourcing services for municipal authorities as well as industrial and service companies, it is also one of the world's major designers of technological solutions and facilities constructor for water and wastewater services. With 95,789 employees worldwide, Veolia Water provides water services to 161 million people in 66 countries. Its 2009 revenue amounted to $18.1 billion (USD).
Contacts:
Elizabeth Allen
Administrative Coordinator
ENDETEC
Tel: 613-533-3321
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