Teck Resources and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) recently opened the new Teck Copper Innovation Hub. Located inside the BCIT Centre for Applied Research and Innovation in Burnaby, the Teck Copper Innovation Hub will help BCIT researchers and students learn more about the helpful uses of copper in modern healthcare devices, such as prosthetics and orthotics.

Teck donated $1.75 million to establish the hub, which aims to explore how the antimicrobial properties of copper may be useful in healthcare devices. The hub will employ 3D printing to produce healthcare devices that incorporate copper and composites. New research and education projects will also be implemented in order to explore the different ways copper and composites may be used to advance new developments in healthcare and safety.

Paul McCullough, BCIT’s interim president, said: “The Teck Copper Innovation Hub combines the state-of-the-art research capabilities of BCIT Applied Research with the industry expertise of Teck to drive innovation across a growing interdisciplinary field. This partnership amplifies the collaborative strength of our organizations and establishes a new hands-on learning environment that will have meaningful impact in the healthcare field and beyond.”

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Teck’s Copper and Health program advocates for copper to be used as a solution to prevent the spread of infections caused by bacteria in public places. The program has previously funded other initiatives to improve health and safety in different industries and public facilities, such as installing antimicrobial copper on high-touch surfaces in healthcare facilities. Previous research has shown that copper surfaces can eliminate up to 99.9 per cent of harmful bacteria.

Teck said it chose to partner with BCIT for its source of skilled trades workers across B.C. Their relationship has previously included Teck making a $5 million dollar contribution to the BCIT Inspire Campaign and installing more than 1,000 antimicrobial copper patches on high-touch surfaces on BCIT’s campus.

Jonathan Price, CEO of Teck Resources, said, “We are proud to partner with BCIT in launching the new Teck Copper Innovation Hub, which will explore new ways that antimicrobial copper can enhance safety in healthcare. We applaud BCIT for advancing this innovative work that has the potential to create significant health benefits to society.”