1. The how to’s of technology commercialization

    October 30, 2009 by AURP Canada

     The President and CEO of MCN BioProducts tells a story about his first day on the job.  Todd Lahti was brought on board to help a group of researchers get their specialized canola processing technology to market.  “The first question I asked was how much does the process cost?” Lahti pauses, scans the audience, and continues. “They didn’t know. They had identified a market need and thought that was enough.” Lahti then shares his story of how they had to re-engineer the equipment and refine the technique again and again until they came up with an economically viable method for their protein extraction process.  Then they were ready to start filing additional patents and look for licensing partners, which was a whole other adventure.

     It’s that type if first hand account of the commercialization process drawing researchers and entrepreneurs into the new Commercialization & Investment Luncheon Series being put on by Ag-West Bio and the Entrepreneurial Foundation of Saskatchewan, both clients of Innovation Place.

     Brad Bly is Ag-West Bio’s Technology Commercialization Manager and one of the event organizers.  “We’re very good at developing technology in Saskatchewan but we want to direct more focus on commercializing it.”  Bly says taking the step from inventor to business person can be daunting but this series should make researchers and budding entrepreneurs more aware of the assistance that is out there.

     “The Entrepreneurial Foundation of Saskatchewan helps people become investment ready and helps to demystify the process,” says David Gauthier, CEO of the Entrepreneurial Foundation of Saskatchewan, as he explains his organizations involvement. 

     Although the lunchtime seminars are billed as a series and are presented in what Bly describes as a natural sequence, each one could be a standalone event which is fitting given that the path to commercialization is not linear.

     Several speakers have been lined up to tackle upcoming topics including understanding risk, raising private equity and maximizing market opportunities.  If the first seminar is any indication, attendees have a great opportunity to not only get good information, but ask questions that can lead to interesting discussions.

     The five part series wraps up in January 2010. For more information go to www.agwest.sk.ca or www.efsk.ca.

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  2. Manning Innovation Awards Deadline December 1

    by AURP Canada

    ManningInnovationAwardsOne of Canada’s most prestigious annual awards programs, the Earnest C. Manning Awards Foundation, established in 1980, has celebrated the achievements of over 200 exceptional individuals with the imagination to innovate and the stamina to succeed. Drawn from diverse communities – technology, industry, science, the trades and social sectors – the men and women who have been recognized have changed the way Canada competes, manufactures, communicates and sets standards for social behavior. Their impact has been felt across the country and around the world.

    Awards Critieria and Selection Process
    Enormous care was taken to develop stringent awards criteria and an independent judging process. Research, including visits to the Swedish Academy for the Nobel Prize and the Ford Foundation in the US, to understand the international best practices commissioned to help the founding Trustees establish and safeguard the highest standards of quality.

    Open to resident Canadian citizens who have developed and successfully marketed a new concept, process or procedure, their work must demonstrate:

    • Intellectual Achievement
    • Uniqueness and Originality
    • Development
    • Commercialization
    • Economic and / or Social Impact

    The Selection Committee, a national independent body, reviews all qualified nominees and selects award winners.  Drawn from academic and professional backgrounds, their deliberations are supported by experts, recruited to provide state of the art evaluations in fields as divers as genetics, aviation, environmental technologies, medicine, civil engineering, manufacturing, industrial processes and social entrepreneurship, to name a few.

    The Awards
    All qualified nominees are considered for the $100,000 EnCana Principal Award and the $25,000 Dave Mitchell Award of Distinction.  The two $10,000 Innovation Awards are reserved for those without the benefit of sophisticated research facilities or advanced education in the field of their innovation.

    The $20,000 Young Canadian Program, introduced in 1992, recognizes the next generation of innovators.  Every year, eight senior high school students, whose work is judged as innovative, are acknowledged through eight Manning Innovation Achievement Awards and four Young Canadian Innovation Awards.

    Creativity knows no professional, geographic or cultural boundaries.  New ideas erupt anywhere.  People of any age or walk of life, engaged in their personal and professional communities, generate ideas that can change the world. But only those with determination and tenacity can bring them to life and make a difference to many.  The Manning Innovation Awards exists to applaud their achievements – and introduce the country to its own heroes.

    For more information, including detailed stories and videos of past winners, visit www.manningawards.ca. Nominations for the Manning Innovation Awards close annually on December 1.

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  3. Expanding the Perimeter with The Stephen Hawking Centre at PI

    October 28, 2009 by AURP Canada
    Canada’s Perimeter Institute announces bold plans for the future.

    Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, October 17, 2009 – Canada’s Primeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) has announced ambitious plans to strengthen its position as a leading research institute. The comprehensive advancement program, ‘Expanding the Perimeter’, will continue to bring together public and private sector partners with a passion for the transformative power of basic research, building on PI’s celebrated and highly successful public-private funding model.

    ‘Expanding the Perimeter’, has recently secured the funding required to double the Institute’s physical research space. A further $28 million has been raised towards PI’s goal of significantly increasing its funding base in order to support its expanding research operations. The advancement program, which aims to vault the Institute into a world-leading role, was announced at the Quantum to Cosmos Festival before a large audience composed of leaders in the science and technology community.
    Building on Success
    “Perimeter Institute’s successful first decade was made possible through a unique combination of personal philanthropy and public support, from sponsors including Mike Lazaridis and the Governments of Ontario and Canada,” said PI Director Neil Turok, speaking at one of the Institute’s 10th Anniversary events. “This excellent start provides the base for our proposed expansion, and opportunities for the participation of additional partners. We welcome individuals and organizations that value the importance of basic research and wish to invest in PI.” 
    “Just one major discovery in theoretical physics is literally capable of changing the world, as when Maxwell discovered a unified description of electricity and magnetism, and Marconi applied his ideas to send the first radio signals.  Or when Einstein’s new ideas about light, as tiny particles or ‘photons,’ eventually led to the laser, medical imaging equipment, CD players, and more,” said Turok. “Today, quantum theory is leading the way toward tomorrow’s computers and communication systems, which will vastly exceed the capabilities of current technologies. This historically proven cycle of innovation is fuelled by the foundational thinking that drives the research chain.”

    Among participating speakers was renowned Professor Stephen Hawking, who took part in the announcement via multimedia from Cambridge, UK.  Prof. Hawking said, “Perimeter Institute is a very exciting venture. Its chosen scientific focus, quantum theory and space-time, is very close to my heart.  I am strongly supportive of the Institute’s bold expansion plans and its ambitious research and training programs.”

    “With a mix of excellent scientists, inspirational visitors, and first rate students recruited from around the world, I expect exciting discoveries will be made,” Prof Hawking stated, referring to the unique research environment at PI. “Our field of theoretical physics has been the most successful and cost-effective in all of science. Where would we be today without Newton, Maxwell, and Einstein? Many great challenges lie ahead. Where this new understanding will lead, is impossible to say for sure. What we can say with confidence, is that expanding the Perimeter of our knowledge will be the key to our future.”
    First Investments
    The ‘Expanding the Perimeter’ announcement included an update on the 55,000 square foot expansion of the award-winning research facility.  The new addition, already underway, will be known as the Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute. 

    “We are delighted that Stephen has allowed his name to be associated with this expansion,” said Dr. Turok. “He is an inspirational figure, famous both for his cutting edge research into quantum theory and spacetime and for his excellent mentorship of young scientists. At the heart of the Stephen Hawking Centre at Perimeter Institute will be our world-class training program, Perimeter Scholars International, helping to prepare the next generation of brilliant theoretical physicists”.

    To that end, news was released on the first investments in ‘Expanding the Perimeter.’  On the infrastructure side, $35m has been raised or pledged from the private and public sectors for the building expansion, including over $10m from each of the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Ontario’s Ministry of Research and Innovation. This builds upon past federal support of $80m and provincial support of $76m, contributed over Perimeter Institute’s 10 year history.

    To support its ambitious research and training program, Perimeter has recently raised $28m toward an advancement target of $400m over the coming years. The Institute aims to secure its long term future through its endowment efforts and the ongoing commitment of its government partners. As a centre which aspires to support the growth of theoretical physics research and training across Canada and internationally, PI aims to work collaboratively with like-minded institutional partners in its advancement initiatives.

    Additional Comments
    Gerard Milburn, of the University of Queensland and Chair of PI’s international Scientific Advisory Committee, spoke on Perimeter’s history and prospects for the future. “PI’s success comes as no surprise to us on the Scientific Advisory Committee who have seen up close the commitment to excellence and innovation that characterizes the Institute.  For the start of its next decade, PI has developed a bold expansion plan, which could establish the institute as a major global centre for theoretical physics in the years to come, as well as a major innovation in research training.  The commitment to training the next generation of theoretical physicists will ensure that the Institute’s influence will extend far into the future. Canada has handed the world of Science a remarkable gift.”

    Mike Lazaridis, founder and Board Chair of Perimeter Institute, said “This 10th Anniversary gives us pause to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of Perimeter Institute. We have built a strong foundation for the future. With our partners, PI is positioned to make vital contributions to fundamental knowledge that will shape our world in ways that we can only imagine.   The best is yet to come.”

    More Information 

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  4. International Award for Innovation Place

    October 23, 2009 by AURP Canada

    October 23, 2009 – The Association of University Research Parks (AURP) named Innovation Place the 2009 Outstanding Research / Science Park.  Recognized for their role in supporting the growth of science and technology related economic development in the Province of Saskatchewan, Innovation Place became the second Canadian Park to receive the award in its 13 year history.

    The Premier of Saskatchewan, Brad Wall, is pleased to see Innovation Place get international recognition.  “This award is further evidence of the leadership role this province can take in technology and innovation,” says Wall. “For almost 30 years, Innovation Place has been helping entrepreneurs take discovery from the lab to the market place, providing opportunities for our young people to help grow this province.”

    As president of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP) Canada, Dale Gann noted that, “Innovation Place has been a national and global leader in development and operations of research park facilities, services and amenities.  This recognition is well deserved and my congratulations to the Innovation Place Management team.”

    The AURP judging committee unanimously chose Innovation Place noting its global reputation and positive impact on the cities of Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert, the Province’s universities and Saskatchewan as a whole.

    “Not only does Innovation Place play a valuable role in its own community, it is an extremely valuable member of the global research park community, helping to establish best practices in our profession,” said Gregory W. Deason, AURP President.

    The 14th Annual AURP Awards of Excellence recognize the achievements of outstanding research parks and industry veterans and encourages the development of best practices among research and science parks.

    “By clustering the expertise from private business, university and government researchers, we are encouraging interactions, collaborations and innovations in science and technology,” noted Innovation Place President Douglas Tastad.

    The 14th Annual AURP Awards of Excellence were presented at the 2009 International Conference in Vancouver.

    About Innovation Place
    In 2008 the clients at Innovation Place collectively contributed more than $647 million to the provincial economy and more that 8,500 jobs in the province are attributable to the presence of the organizations located at the research parks.  Innovation Place developed the province’s first LEED Gold certified building, the Forest Centre in Prince Albert, and continues to be a champion for green building design, construction and operation.

    About AURP
    The Association of University Research Parks is a professional association of university related research and science parks.  AURP’s mission is to foster innovation, commercialization and economic growth through university, industry and government partnerships.  For more information, visit AURP’s website at www.aurp.net or contact Chelsea Simpson at chelseasimpson@aurp.net.

    -30-

    For media inquiries, please contact:

    Austin Beggs
    Vice President, Corporate Relations
    Innovation Place
    P: 306.933.7464
    www.innovationplace.com

    Chelsea Jo Simpson
    Marketing Manager
    Association of University Research Parks
    P: 520.529.2727
    www.aurp.net

     

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  5. The Power of Connected Research Parks

    October 20, 2009 by dgann1

    logo

    Cisco, Pulse and VITP welcome the AURP 2009 delegates to Vancouver.   In preparation for the upcoming  panel on the Power of Connected Research Parks, Cisco has created a microsite for the AURP Conference.  Please take the time to register to receive power point presentation. www.cisco.com/go/scre Please visit us at the booth.

    With a rapid expansion of devices and systems in our global research parks that require connectivity and access to IP networks (and the Internet), the time has come for the research parks to institutionalize “the Network as the Fourth Utility”.

    By elevating the importance of connectivity, the parks have now the powerful ability to cut cost on operations, to reduce energy and carbon footprint, and to explore new and exciting revenue opportunities. Join us to learn how VITP is using its Fourth Utility to optimize metering and energy management as well as provide voice, data and physical security services.

    PULSE ENERGY, CISCO, and VITP use convergence and integration to provide unprecedented opportunities for the research park to offer stellar services to its tenants.

    Cisco_banner

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  6. Saskatoon Rated the Top Entrepreneurial city in Canada

    by AURP Canada

    A study conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business ranked Saskatoon as #1 based on a combined score of 12 indicators.

    It is important to note that Saskatoon scored “very high” in regards to the 5 policy categories which really reflect how local civic policy is perceived by Saskatoon’s business community. This is a great statement for Saskatoon and the five other Saskatchewan communities that rated in the top 10.

    View the whole report here: 2009 Top Entrepreneurial Cities

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  7. World’s innovation leaders gather in Vancouver

    by dgann1

    TechVibes, President, Rob Lewis will attend thursday’s opening to here keynotes addresses from the President of Association of University Research Parks, the President of the University of Victoria, Dr. David Turpin, and Dr. John Byrne, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2007)

    That morning Dr. Sujai Shivakumar, whom serves as Deputy Director to the National Academies’ program on Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy will present the Book Release/Announcement - Understanding Research, Science and Technology Parks: Global Best Practices / A Report of a Symposium National Research Council of the National Academies

    Dr. Rick Huijbregts, Vice President Cisco Canada, David Helliwell, Co-Founder, Pulse Energy and the President of UVic’s Technology Parks will present;

    The Power of Connected Research Parks, with a rapid expansion of devices and systems in our global research parks that require connectivity and access to IP networks (and the Internet), the time has come for the research parks to institutionalize “the Network as the Fourth Utility”.

    Its a full week in Vancouver with innovation leaders from around the world gathering at the 2009 international conference of the Association of University Research Parks. With more than 100 speakers sharing their expertise on driving global economic recovery through innovation, this conference promises to be a productive one.

    This year’s event is being hosted by the University of Victoria’s Vancouver Island Technology Park, sponsored by Discovery Parks and runs from Wednesday, October 21st to Friday, October 23rd at the Westin Bayshore.

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  8. Cannon’s Richmond Olympic Oval Takes Gold

    October 19, 2009 by dgann1

    Cannon’s Richmond Olympic Oval Takes Gold in Structural Design

    oval-584-getty

    The Richmond Olympic Oval will be the site for the speed-skating events during the 2010 Winter Olympics. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

    AURP Vancouver 2009 Tour Spot Takes Top Honors

    From the Canadian Press:

    The Olympic Oval in Richmond, B.C., just south of Vancouver, was awarded a prestigious international engineering prize for its structural design on Friday.

    The Olympic venue, which will host speed skating during the 2010 Games, beat out a tough field of competitors, including the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest,” and the new retractable roof at Wimbledon’s Centre Court in London, to win the top award for a sports or leisure structure by the Institution of Structural Engineers

    bc-081212-olympic-oval-interior(2)

    The roof of the Richmond Olympic Oval was built from pine beetle-killed wood from B.C.’s forests. (CBC) Earlier this year, the Oval was also one of 272 buildings shortlisted for the Building of the Year Award at the 2009 World Architecture Festival. It also won the Innovation in Architecture Award at 2009 Awards of Excellence from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, in May.

    The Richmond Olympic Oval, designed by Cannon Design, is a multi-purpose sports and recreation facility. Its roof features hollow, triangular-shaped wood steel arches and so-called wood wave panels constructed from pine beetle-killed wood boards from B.C. forests. Based in London, the Institution of Structural Engineers is dedicated to the art and science of structural engineering.

    Join your fellow AURP members as they visit, tour and network in the Richmond Oval as part of AURP 2009: Vancouver tours.

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  9. State of the Industry

    October 16, 2009 by AURP Canada

    The Saskatchewan Advanced Technology Association (SATA), blaqmap, a tenant of the Atrium in Saskatoon, and ESTI Consulting Services, also from Saskatoon, have begun working on a project that will establish the size, scope and and composition of Saskatchewan’s advanced technology industry.  The State of the Industry Program will create a “living database” of industry information that will be used by governments and industry stakeholders to guide sector development and growth initiatives.  The program will also be positioned as a very valuable marketing tool for the companies making up Saskatchewan’s advanced technology sector.

    The program will differ from a typical industry survey in that blaqmap will utilize an innovative marketing strategy to incent or “pull” companies into participating versus “pushing” for participation via phone, email and mail solicitation.  ESTI will develop innovative web-based applications that will manage, organize, and graphically display accurate and comprehensive statistics to industry stakeholders.  The State of the Industry Program has been designed as a long term initiative that will be maintained as a source of valuable information for a number of years.

    If you would like more information about the State of the Industry Program, please contact Nick Kochar at naqsh@blaqmap.comor 306.653.2302, or Don Prokopetz at dprokopetz@sata.ca or 306.541.3153.

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  10. 2WEB Design Inc.

    by AURP Canada

    Websites designed by 2WEB Design Inc. are going to the next level of functionality thanks to an agreement they signed with FinancialContent Services Inc. of Foster City, California.  The agreement supplies 2WEB Design Inc. with industry leading technology which provides stock market data, business news and content syndication services with access to the most comprehensive news and financial networks in the world.  This means 2WEB Design Inc. can now develop more informative web pages with dynamic data-driven stock widgets, charting and custom financial applications.

    The agreement was reached when 2WEB Design Inc.’s Global E-Business Strategist, Rod McLellan, was in San Jose, California for the Search Engine Strategies Conference in August.  He met with FinancialContent CEO, Wing Yu.  Discussions focused on the economic activity in Western Canada (including Innovation Place) and how 2WEB Design Inc could build better websites for clients. “Companies are realizing the importance of their website – that it functions as a communication hub for their organization,” says McLellan. Canada is a nation of exporters. For Saskatchewan businesses, developing a good website is paramount for growing sales outside of the province. With this new agreement 2WEB Design Inc. can now provide specialized web solutions for publicly traded companies.  McLellan, a former financial advisor, says it is clear investors are using the Internet to do their research. “If your website is not investor friendly you may see a lot of potential investors navigating off your webpages.  In addition, if your website is not found in the right search queries, you may see far less overall traffic than if you were to run a well-planned search engine optimization program.”

    As a web design and development firm, 2WEB Design Inc. sees huge opportunities for Saskatchewan companies on the horizon.  The Internet is a global platform that can allow businesses to connect to customers, suppliers, investors and partners around the world.  The question McLellan asks is are we taking advantage of this? Many businesses still do not use their website to its full potential and have not considered what social media (eg. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress, etc.) can do for them.  2WEB Design Inc. utilizes these social media elements in the websites they design as part of an overall online marketing program for clients.

    Connecting Saskatchewan with Silicon Valley makes a lot of sense.  2WEB Design Inc. has developed over 350 websites and continually seeks new and innovative ways to add value to each client’s business.  By working with some of the world’s leading Internet companies, they can facilitate greater exposure and functionality for the websites they design and develop.  In 2008, 2WEB Design Inc. won the E-Commerce Award for Excellence from the Saskatchewan Interactive Media Association Inc. and has continued to gain attention as an innovator in the province.  2WEB Design Inc. is currently building the new Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce website and looks forward to its official launch later in the year.

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