December 18, 2020 · Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
Assistive technologies, like wheelchairs, are essential tools for patients and health care providers alike. They improve independence, safety and dignity for people with mobility issues and disabilities. MacKenzie Healthcare Technologies has developed an easy-to-use patient repositioning device called Paraglide® that allows wheelchair users to move freely from a slouched to upright position with a touch of a button.
Federal support for new assistive technology
Today, Sean Fraser, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity, Associate Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Central Nova, on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, announced a repayable contribution of $62,500 to MacKenzie Healthcare Technologies.
This support will enable MacKenzie Healthcare Technologies to expand its in-house manufacturing capabilites so it can bring its innovative device to market and scale up to meet future export opportunities.
Today's announcement is further proof of the Government of Canada's commitment to ensure that manufacturing continues to play a major role in Canada's economic prosperity for years to come. Projects like this one help bring new innovations like Paraglide® to market, improving lives for Canadians and others around the globe.
Quotes
"Manufacturing is critical to Canada's economic success, creating well paying jobs and export opportunities. Today's investment in an innovative medical device manufacturing company is just one way the Governement of Canada is helping small- and medium-sized businesses commercialize new technology with global potential."
- The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for ACOA
"Matthew MacKenzie is a well-respected entrepreneur on the Eastern Shore who has created a thriving manufacturing business that focuses on staying ahead of the curve by investing in technology. This new endeavour in the medical technology sector will create good paying jobs locally and, more importantly, will enhance the quality of life for Canadians living with disabilities."
- Sean Fraser, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity, Associate Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Central Nova
"The funding from ACOA will help us secure critical new equipment to get Paraglide into the market sooner and onto the wheelchairs of people who deserve better safety, independence and dignity. With more than 100 Paraglide units already ordered for use in Nova Scotia's long-term care facilities in the new year, and patents in Canada, the United States and Japan, we are excited about the future growth of our company and what it means for our community."
- Matthew Mackenzie, President & CEO, MacKenzie Healthcare Technologies Inc.
Quick facts
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Paraglide® is a self-contained unit that can be installed on approximately 80% of existing manual wheelchairs and can be operational in minutes.
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MacKenzie Healthcare Technologies is a subsidiary company of MacKenzie Atlantic, a local Tool and Die machining business.
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MacKenzie Healthcare Technologies recently won "Innovator of the Year" award at the 2020 Discovery Centre Awards.
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Funding for this project is provided through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency's Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program.
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The Business Scale-up and Productivity stream of the REGI program supports businesses at various stages of devleopment, including high-growth firms, to accelerate their growth, help them scale up and enhance their productivity and competitiveness in both domestic and global markets.
