NEWS RELEASE
SARNIA, Ontario - As a not-for-profit organization, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) has a goal to help Ontario and Canada become globally recognized leaders in the field of sustainable technologies. BIC supports the development of the next generation of highly qualified persons who will lead Canadian innovation. BIC works with industry to understand their needs and endeavor to match youth to jobs. Funding of these experiential learning opportunities, assisting in recruitment and working with educational institutions to adapt curriculum to industry needs is paramount to advancing Canada’s innovation agenda.
BIC continues to create highly qualified persons to work in the biotechnology industry as we strive to be a key organization in supporting the development of the Sarnia-Lambton cluster. Recently, Executive Director of BIC, Sandy Marshall, welcomed Afsana Kabir as a Junior Project Engineer-in-Training to the BIC management team.
In this position Afsana will be working exclusively on client projects within BIC’s Centre for Commercialization of Sustainable Chemistry Innovation (COMM SCI). COMM SCI is a hub for commercialization of bio-based and sustainable chemistry-based innovation, providing business and technical support to participating small and medium sized entities (SME). COMM SCI services provide participating companies advice, services and access to risk capital to remove barriers to commercialization enabling technology demonstration and scale-up.
“Part of BIC’s mandate is to develop highly qualified professionals in the bioindustrial sector, and this serves as an ideal opportunity to do so by providing experience and a launching point for Afsana’s career,” stated Sandy.
Afsana graduated with a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2014. After graduation, she worked as a research assistant for 6 months in a project on systematic assessment and characterization of potential biomass resources as an alternative resource of fuel in Bangladesh. Due to her interest in sustainable industry practices and exploring alternative resources for development of fuel and chemicals, she applied to Dr. Charles Xu’s group at the Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR) to pursue her Master’s research. Her thesis was focused on lignin (a downstream product from pulp and paper mills and bio refineries) valorization, specifically on exploring de-polymerized lignin as an alternative of traditional petroleum-based antioxidants for improving thermos-oxidative resistance of polyolefins. She then obtained her Master’s in Chemical Engineering at Western University in August 2017.
“It is both interesting and encouraging to see how Ontario is gradually taking a place in the global bio-economy scenario for promoting commercialization of green and sustainable technologies and Sarnia-Lambton hybrid chemistry cluster is becoming a key part of it. I am excited to be a part of BIC’s ongoing endeavours for accelerating Canadian bio-economy,” stated Afsana.
For more information please contact:
A.J. (Sandy) Marshall
Executive Director
Tel: 226.778.0020 ext. 237
Email: sandym@bincanada.ca
Or
Michael Faba
Project Manager
Tel: 226.778.0020. ext. 222
Email: michaelf@bincanada.ca
About Bioindustrial Innovation Canada
Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) is a nationally focused not-for-profit organization based in Sarnia, Ontario. The Centre for Commercialization of Sustainable Chemistry Innovation (COMM SCI) acts as a hub for the commercialization of sustainable chemistry and bio-based innovation, providing businesses and technical support to participating small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in southern Ontario. COMM SCI was established with a $12-million contribution from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario’s (FedDev Ontario) Investing in Regional Diversification initiative and additional support from the Government of Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science. Bioindustrial Innovation Canada creates jobs and economic value sustainably for Canada. We provide critical strategic investment, advice and services to business developers of clean, green and sustainable technologies. Our expertise in commercialization builds a stronger Canada.