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A "biotractor" developed in part by the Composites Innovation Centre, with hood, fan shroud and rear fender components made of natural fibre-reinforced composites (photo courtesy AAFC).

On Friday, the Composites Innovation Centre (CIC) announced the opening of an agricultural fibre processing and prototyping centre in Saint Boniface.

The Prairie Agricultural Fibre Characterization Industrial Technology initiative, also known as FibreCITY, is North America's first agricultural fibre grading centre of excellence program.

The facility will take commercially grown bales of biomass, such as flax and hemp straw, from producers, separate the biomass into fibres and shive, tag the materials and condition them to be tested at FibreCITY's laboratory located within CIC's main facility in south-west Winnipeg.

"This facility forms another piece of the puzzle in creating a global leading capability to process and test biomass for industrial applications," said Sean McKay, President and CEO of the CIC. "With this capability we are now in a position to properly support the development of a complete supply chain ensuring economic gains in the rural economy, especially back to the producer, and placing Manitoba and Canada on the map for innovation and excellence in commercialization of agricultural fibre reinforced products."

Funding of $1.4 million dollars was provided by Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development under the Growing Forward 2 initiative.

"This is an exciting time for agriculture in Manitoba, where we are seeing the results of strategic investments in research, innovation and infrastructure," said MAFRD Minister Ron Kostyshyn. "The Composites Innovation Centre and FibreCITY will be able to take the biofibre industry to the next level in our province, and the Manitoba government is proud to be a part of their successes."

An additional $200,000 was allocated for fibre processing equipment to be installed in the facility from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Growing Forward 2 AgriInnovation program.

For it's FibreCITY initiative, the Composites Innovation Centre has been awarded JEC Group's  2015 Innovation Award in the Biocomposites category.

The CIC is a not-for-profit organization established in 2003 to support technology development and commercialization of composites materials and processes for the aerospace, ground transportation, agricultural and industrial sectors in Manitoba and Western Canada.