Aerospace

Each and every system and component of an air craft has potential to be a SR&ED project if structured and documented correctly. Whether you're developing the next space plane or trying to squeeze more out of existing systems, the SR&ED program is available to support your endeavor. Aerospace is such a large sector that the CRA has dedicated aerospace its own unique field of science (technology code 2.03.04). Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Aerodynamics
• Engine design
• Electrical systems
• Hydraulic systems
• Air foil development
• Acoustics

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent the aerospace industry?

Greenhouse & Farming

Farming is an infinitely complicated and dynamic field of research. Companies have benefited from the SR&ED program in livestock, greenhouse and open field developments. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Heating systems
• Climate control
• Plant studies featuring different types of disease or pest control
• Animal studies featuring different types of disease or epidemic control
• Density trials
• Non-conventional crop rotations

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent the greenhouse and farming industry?

Chemicals

Chemicals are a rapidly changing sector of our would that are constantly evolving into new more complicated and environmentally friendly structures. There are pockets of SR&ED in every project where your company attempts to develop a new product or incrementally improve an existing best seller. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Product shelf life
• Resistance to contamination
• Resistance to bacterial growth
• Delivery methods
• Product efficiency
• Manufacturing processes

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent chemical industry?

Electronics

In today's high tech and high paced world, electronics seem to be obsolete before we finish prototype testing. The CRA embraces this reality and wants to help offset the financial burdens of the risks your company is taking. Electronics are an integral part of the technology the SR&ED program looks to embrace. There are 8 separate CRA technology codes associated with electronics that are further discussed in our "Fields of Science" section. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Consumer products
• Custom controls
• Entertainment devices
• Audio video systems
• Computer hardware
• Communications

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent electronics industry?

Engineering

Engineering is the largest of all the disciplines that directly benefit from the SR&ED program. There are 11 separate CRA technology categories covering 55 codes associated with everything from nanotechnology to civil engineering that are further discussed in our "Fields of Science" section. Remember, you don't have to be a qualified engineer to benefit from claims in these fields. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Improving existing products
• Developing products faster
• Improving existing processes
• Developing new processes
• Developing new functionalities in existing products
• Making widgets and processes do things that they weren't originally designed to do

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent the "wheel"?

Food & Beverage

The food and beverage industry is another huge sector that encompasses a diverse spectrum of opportunities. There are hundreds of SR&ED opportunities available if your company makes, stores or distributes some sort of food or beverage. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Packaging or unpacking products
• Developing new products with specific properties
• Improving existing processing lines (no nuts!)
• Reducing waste during manufacturing or processing
• Specialized transportation solutions that cater to sensitive goods
• Storage solutions to increase shelf life

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent food and beverage industry?

Formal Sciences

The CRA deems formal sciences to be pretty much any science you could study in university from chemistry to astronomy. Your developments can be for proprietary use or to benefit society in general. The CRA wants to see Canada as a world leader in science and is willing to help offset the costs of your research. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Developing techniques to look deeper into space
• Improving nuclear energy and interaction with radiation
• Predicting weather patterns or earthquakes
• Developing solutions to understand and control zebra mussel infestations
• Developments towards solving the Riemann Hypothesis (pure math)
• Developing a new or improved computer sorting algorithm

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent the formal sciences as we know them?

Materials Science

Materials science covers a broad spectrum of concepts from atomic packing factors and crystalline structures to preserving wood. If you manufacture or develop products, you might be unknowingly working to improve materials science through creating proprietary metallic composites and treatment cycles. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Developing ceramic composites that increase strength, rigidity or reduce weight
• Developing techniques to apply characteristic modifying coatings
• Improved methods to reinforce structural members (prestressing or composites)
• Organic construction materials that exceed the capabilities of inorganic
• New heat treatments to elicit desirable characteristics in metals
• Developing new types of plastics, paper or textiles for specific characteristics

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent materials science?

Machinery

Machines are becoming more and more common in our homes and places of work. Any incremental improvement to machinery or equipment is eligible for SR&ED funding if your projects are setup correctly. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Converting a robot vacuum into a robot lawnmower
• Developing equipment to assist with holding or securing WIP
• Automating processes that are classically manual tasks
• Incorporating new inspection and feedback systems into dated equipment
• Developing and integrating new functionalities into equipment
• Developing new forms of wearable equipment to increase human capabilities

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent machinery in our lives?

Moulding

The Moulding industry has been witness to many pressured and changes over the last few years. You’ve greatly increase product complexity and had to drastically reduce costs to stay competitive with external competition. The SR&ED program is able to help you recover some of the costs required to achieve these new benchmarks. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Building and designing more complicated moulds
• Developing processes to make other companies moulds work in your machines
• Developing improved moulding techniques (injection, blow, compression, et al.)
• Working with non-virgin materials
• Working with new resins and release agents
• Achieving tighter tolerances on finished products

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent moulding industry?

Auto Racing

Auto racing is a niche industry where nobody shares information to maintain the competitive edge as long as possible. If you’re improving a component to be stronger or building an entirely new car from the ground up the SR&ED program is available to help recover some of the costs associated with your risks. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Designing a more efficient engine
• Developing new dynamic suspension systems
• Developing an entirely new vehicle from the ground up
• Engineering members to be lighter and stronger
• Employing new exotic alloys or carbon fibre overlays in your developments
• Aerodynamics and traction control systems

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent the automotive industry?

Software

The software industry is one of the most challenging business sectors to complete eligible SR&ED claims. To be successful here, one needs to focus on specific regions of code that were developed to overcome challenges rather than focusing on the big picture. Let us help you identify the SR&ED eligible regions of your work to recover some of the countless hours invested in overcoming obstacles. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Integrating multiple software solutions into a proprietary application
• Developing new and or improved techniques to overcoming challenges
• Developing and implementing proprietary software on your existing servers
• Developing new compression and or encryption solutions
• Custom database developments for improved performance
• Developing software to monitor and control hardware in non-traditional ways

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent the software industry?

Textiles

Our clients in the textile industry face a number of challenges from overcoming differences between lots to developing new fabrics altogether. The SR&ED program is available to help your company if you’re a one person upholstery shop or a multi-national innovator creating the next denim. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Overcoming and camouflaging colour differences across different manufacturer lots
• Developing solutions to emulate aged materials with modern equivalents
• Applying treatments to prevent staining in specialized environments
• Reducing waste during manufacturing or processing
• Designing new textiles to be water resistant or stretchy
• Developing solutions to mitigate the effects of sun bleaching overtime

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent the textiles industry?

Tooling & Dies

Tooling, dies and machining in general are constantly changing industries where new materials and processes constantly leave you facing obsolescence. Regardless if you’re designing a widget, making a widget or developing processes to make widgets, the SR&ED program can help your company stay on top. Some ideas for great SR&ED projects include but are not limited to:

• Retrofitting takeover tooling
• Developing sophisticated sequential stamping processes
• Modifying moulds for new functionality without affecting melt flows
• Modifying tools to function with new materials
• Condensing multiple tools into comprehensive solutions
• Developing non-traditional processes to remove more material faster

What are you doing to incrementally improve or completely reinvent the tool and die industry?

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