BC Research Inc
BC Research Inc. was based at a 180,000-square-foot (17,000 m2) scientific research and development company located at the BC Research and Innovation Complex at the south end of the University of British Columbia campus. The facility closed in November 2007. The company specialized in consulting and applied research and development in the area of plant biotechnology and environment, health and safety, process and analysis, transportation and ship dynamics.
The company can be traced back to 1944 as it developed from the non-profit BC Research Council to a private company in 1993, founded by Dr. Hugh Wynne-Edwards, Ph.D, DSc., FRSC, a member of the Order of Canada, who served as the founding Chief Executive Officer and developed the facility into one of Canada's most recognized incubators in the fields of biotechnology, drug discovery and alternative fuel technologies. In 2000, BC Research was purchased by Immune Network Ltd and was sold to Cromedica (now PRA International) in July 2001 for a consideration of $8.3 million according to 2001 audited financials published on SEDAR. Its plant biotechnology team was mostly spun off in Silvagen Inc. which specialized in clonal reforestation and which became a part of CellFor. In 1999 Azure Dynamics, a hybrid commercial vehicle systems developer, was formed with some of the transportation team and left the facility in 2004 having gone public in 2001 as Azure Dynamics Corporation. Radient Technologies, Inc., specializing in microwave-assisted natural product extraction, purification and isolation, was also spun off in 2001 as a joint venture with Environment Canada. The remaining laboratory and consulting business functions continued under the name Vizon SciTec until August 2006 when CANTEST Ltd. announced its acquisition from BC Research Inc. which continues as a privately held technology holding company.
In May 2007, the former Industrial Process Division of BC Research was acquired by Kemetco Research Inc. Kemetco provides contract research, process development and laboratory testing services to industry, primarily in mining, metallurgy and chemical processing. Since inception, Kemetco has grown to be one of the largest privately held contract R&D firms in Canada that services Environmental, Chemical and Mining companies. Kemetco operates in an 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m2) state-of-the-art R&D facility in Richmond, British Columbia.
Finally in 2010, BC Research Inc., BCRI, opened again for business in its new research facilities in Burnaby, B.C. Their board of directors is composed of Kemetco and NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd business and technology leaders. The Company continues to provide specialized consulting and applied research and development in an expanding number of different technologies and industries, including fluidized beds, storage of energy in batteries, fuel cells, electrochemical cells, corrosion testing and analysis, hydrogen, sulfur, chlorine, nitration, water treatment, and pulp and paper chemistry.
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