CFIN is an industry‑led not‑for‑profit that helps food and beverage companies access the expertise, partners and technologies they need to innovate and grow. This additional SRF funding will enable CFIN to expand its services, helping more food and beverage processors, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), adopt and implement automation, artificial intelligence, digital manufacturing and other advanced technologies. Through this support, companies will improve productivity, strengthen domestic processing capacity and accelerate the commercialization of Canadian-developed innovations.

“Canada’s food processors are working hard to keep prices in check, but many are doing it with equipment and systems that haven’t kept pace with their global competitors,” says CFIN CEO Dana McCauley. “Food 4.0 is CFIN’s plan to close that gap by helping manufacturers and processors adopt Canadian-made automation, AI and digital tools and by backing the homegrown companies that build them. With the Government of Canada’s support, we can help our food sector produce more here at home and compete with the best in the world.”

With this funding, CFIN is expected to support more than 200 SMEs and expand its national network to 20,000 members through its established collaborative online platform and targeted programming. Through its network, CFIN is expected to facilitate up to $200 million in follow-on investment, create approximately 300 new jobs and support over 450 total full-time equivalent positions.

This investment contributes to the National Food Security Strategy’s goals, including strengthening domestic food production, improving access to affordable, nutritious food, and advancing Canadian-developed technologies that make the food system more resilient and competitive.