MIDDLESEX CENTRE, ONT. -- Ontario is committing $2 million to a London, Ont.-based company producing technology that can detect COVID-19 in the air.
CEM Specialties Inc.'s (CEMSI) Kontrol BioCloud detector provides real-time air monitoring for the SARS CoV-2 virus in places where people gather like schools, offices, long-term care homes and on public transit.
Vic Fedeli, minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, said in a statement, "It's the creativity and ingenuity of enterprising companies like CEMSI, with its innovative COVID-19 detection technology, that will help Ontario and the rest of the world successfully emerge from this pandemic, while creating hundreds of good jobs for our province's skilled workers."
The funding, to accelerate production of the units, is expected to create 250 direct jobs and 750 indirect jobs.
CEMSI has already received all approvals required to commercialize and produce the technology, which also promotes air circulation and provides an alert if the virus is detected. It can also monitor for other viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Paul Ghezzi, CEO of Kontrol Technologies Corp., said in a statement, "Our CEMSI team has been focused on developing a solution to create safer spaces through the real-time monitoring of SARS-CoV-2. BioCloud seeks to provide an early detection mechanism with a silent alerting system. Just as smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are now part of building safety, we have created BioCloud as an innovative viral detection technology to help get the economy and daily life back closer to normal."
The new funding is expected to allow CEMSI to increase production capacity to 20,000 units per month. They will be manufactured in London with more than 85 per cent of the components produced in Ontario.
