The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation has announced $910,000 of funding for two research institutions at the University of New Brunswick and a third at the Université de Moncton with an eye towards fostering technological innovation in the province.

The Marine Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence at UNB will receive $300,000, the school’s Nanocomposites and Mechanics Laboratory will receive $400,000 and the Université de Moncton’s Centre for Training in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, or CFRIA, is receiving $210,000.

“By supporting these research centres, NBIF is not just funding projects but investing in the future of New Brunswick’s industries and workforce,” said NBIF Chief Executive Jeff White in a statement.

“The funding, part of the NBIF Strategic Opportunities Fund, is matched by substantial federal funding and private contributions, reinforcing the collaborative effort between provincial, federal, and private sectors to advance technological development and application in New Brunswick.”

Located in Saint John, UNB’s Marine Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence is helmed by Mohsen Mohammadi and focuses on developing 3D printing technology for the marine industry, which has benefits such as corrosion reduction and faster production for time-sensitive components.

The university’s Nanocomposites and Mechanics Laboratory is led by Gobinda Saha and will use the funding to join Canadian Alliance in Cold Spray Technology, an industry group for companies working on applying coatings using kinetic energy to deform particles of plastic.

And the CFRIA, based in Shippigan, will use its funding to find ways to bolster local industries, such as fishing, with the help of robotics and artificial intelligence under the leadership of researcher Sid Ahmed Selouani.

NBIF itself is an independent non-profit with a mandate to foster technological advancement and economic growth in New Brunswick. In the past two decades, it has distributed more than $175 million of funding.