Good evening, Chair, and members of this committee. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is Ibraheem Khan. I'm the CEO of Smarter Alloys, which is a company founded on a patented technology that came out of my doctoral work at the University of Waterloo.

We are an SDTC-funded company located in Cambridge, Ontario. One of our key innovations is applying our materials to capture waste heat and convert it into electricity. It's called a heat engine. We have been targeting a huge inefficiency that we have in the world, which is waste heat, with our materials and our technology.

In a few short years, we've progressed our technology from a laboratory-sized system the size of a blender to a proof of concept the size of a locomotive or even the size of this room, almost.

We're scheduled to deploy this latest heat engine in the oil sands later this year to help reduce the carbon footprint out in Alberta. This progress would not be possible without programs like NRC IRAP, ERA or SDTC.

Clean tech transcends any one program, government or country. Canada's support and funding drives progress that benefits not just Canadians, but all of humanity. However, clean tech entrepreneurs face unprecedented challenges today. Geopolitical tensions, labour shortages and the pandemic have all compounded a difficult task of advancing hardware technology.

Support for clean tech commercialization is not just helpful, but critical for survival. Funding Canadian clean tech unlocks innovation, enables global leadership and supports both our economic and environmental aspirations. Without adequate support, Canadian companies will face difficult decisions and our global progress will be impeded.

The high standard for technical due diligence conducted by Canadian funding agencies is universally recognized. Companies that receive funding undergo significant technical vetting, which reassures global investors and partners of their merit. I've experienced this first hand.

The work that this committee is doing is key in helping maintain this standard. However, time is of the essence. As the resilience of Canadian innovators is now being tested, any further delay will derail progress that companies like mine have made. For example, any delay in us receiving our funding that's due from SDTC will significantly damage our ability to progress our technology in Alberta. It will cause irreparable damage.

I'm encouraged by yesterday's announcement that funding will resume. This positive step is vital for the health of Canadian innovation and the economy, our global competitiveness and the sustainability of the clean tech ecosystem. I urge you to prioritize existing projects, resume due diligence on new projects and applications, expedite and implement the audit recommendations, streamline the process, and communicate the timelines.

Finally, I further recommend increasing funding to accelerate the progress and mitigate the damage that's been done related to these delays.

Thank you for your attention and consideration. I'm available for any consultation and collaboration to ensure swift resolutions.