Axine Water Technologies has won a BCIC Ignite Award for ammonia removal technology. Administered by the BC Innovation Council, the award honours three research projects in the natural resources and applied sciences in British Columbia.
The awards were presented on February 7th, 2017, garnering $300,000 for Axine Water Technologies. To be eligible for the funding, projects must be in the area of natural resources or applied science providing clearly articulated solutions to existing problems. Further, they must have a pairing of an academic member and industry partner, garner funding from other sources with a 2:1 ratio with respect to BCIC funding, and the projects must be headed to market within 3 years.
“BC is home to transformative research that can solve problems for markets around the world,” said Carl Anderson, President and CEO, BC Innovation Council. “BCIC Ignite is part of our continued to work to fuel economic growth province-wide through innovation.”
Specifically, the award was delivered to David Harvey, director of product development, Axine Water Technologies, who has been working with Dr. Frank Van Veggel of UVIC to develop novel electro-catalyst materials that will enhance ammonia removal for Axine’s proprietary industrial wastewater treatment systems. The work addresses the need for industrial manufactures to comply with environmental regulations with respect to wastewater produced on site.
David Harvey, centre, reviews product development materials.
Interviewed by Water Canada for its September/October publication, Jonathan Rhone, CEO of Axine Water Technologies, said of the processes being developed by the company to treat industrial wastewater: ““Some of these wastewater streams are so challenging customers have to truck that wastewater off-site, but that’s expensive. we can disrupt that and treat on site so that the water can reused or discharged to local municipal system[s].”
As a result of the unique BCIC Ignite model, more than $2.6M in total is being contributed to the three projects to commercialize transformative research. BCIC Ignite requires research to be market ready within a three-year time frame, and the program requires applicants to leverage existing funds from industry and academia at a ratio of $2 matching dollars to $1 BCIC Ignite dollars. More than $5M, including leveraged funds, has been contributed to BCIC Ignite projects to date.
Axine Management team; Jonathan Rhone is second from the right; David Harvey far right.