Don Mills : Innovation + Job News

For many of us, the Science Centre is a nostalgic place, evoking memories of grade school field trips and old-fashioned dioramas. Now the Science Centre is partnering with Cisco to create an entirely new kind of experience—one that is digital,interactive, and much more modern. Billed as a "connected museum," the two organizations announced the partnership last week.

Citing the need for Canada to improve its economic competitiveness, in a joint statement Cisco and the Science Centre spoke of the importance of fostering a culture of scientific literacy and engagement. If you can spark interest in science and technology in young people early on, the theory goes, you're more likely to eventually cultivate a workforce that has the skill sets certain economic sectors require.

"Cisco’s vision to enable innovation, particularly in education, is closely aligned with our own, and is one of the reasons this is an excellent relationship,” Dr. Maurice Bitran, CEO of the Science Centre, explained. "We hope to offer our visitors unparalleled learning experiences that will inspire the next generation of innovators.”

As part of the collaboration, Cisco is also sponsoring its first museum-based fellowship. The goal of the Cisco Science Fellow for Innovative Learning Technologies is "to improve science engagement and literacy through the use of integrated technologies."

The Science Centre's Sabrina Greupner, manager of their Weston Family Innovation Centre, is the first person to receive the fellowship. "My goal is to bring together external collaborators with our researchers, programmers, teachers and science experts to create innovative learning experiences and encourage the sharing of best practices,” she explained.

Hopefully visitors to the Science Centre—both in person and using new digital platforms—will be able to make the most of those experiences soon: one key goal of the partnership is to have the Science Centre linked up with Cisco's new new Internet of Everything Innovation Centre, set to open in downtown Toronto in 2015.

Source: Ontario Science Centre
Writer: Hamutal Dotan

Imagine you’re a company that’s involved in making products that require high-tech components—or that you have an idea for such a product, and would like to build a prototype. As technology continues to improve, especially in the realm of miniaturization, keeping pace by purchasing your own manufacturing equipment can be prohibitive—inefficient for larger companies, and impossible for smaller ones and startups.

Enter Celestica, a technology firm that manufacturers components for other tech-reliant companies, such as IBM, for instance. Last month, they opened a microelectronics lab at their Toronto headquarters to help with precisely these manufacturing challenges.

Clients who sign up to partner with Celestica—which will include both small- and medium-sized businesses, as well as startups and original equipment manufacturers—will gain the benefits of a 1,100 square foot lab in which elements like temperature and airborne particles are controlled in order to enable the manufacturing processes involved in miniaturization.

“There are very few place in Canada where companies can go to access this type of technology,” a spokesperson for Celestica told us, and the goal is to enable those companies to commercialize their products more effectively. It will especially help, the spokesperson went on, those who need to do “low-volume, high-reliability manufacturing”—which can range from companies testing out new products, to niche markets (like the aerospace industry) where there just isn’t a need for a large number of items to be produced.

The lab can facilitate the manufacture of fully-designed products, as well as offer engineering expertise to help with design for products that don’t have all their specs nailed down yet. Among the industries that most rely on the optics and photonics technology available at the lab are aerospace, renewable energy, and health care.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: Celestica

Sunnybrook Research Institute, along with Western University and 19 private sector partners, is the beneficiary of nearly $7 million in funding awarded recently by the federal government's Economic Development Agency (known as FedDev). The money will go to developing four imaging technologies Sunnybrook has been working on, and will help accelerate plans to bring those technologies to market.

The medical imaging tools in question have a range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the treatment of cancer, strokes and heart disease, and specifically will help facilitate the use of non-invasive treatment methods. These include ultrasound surgery to target and destroy tumours, early monitoring of the effectiveness of chemotherapy, and using magnetic resonance imaging to guide surgeons as they unblock arteries.

In awarding the grant, local MP John Carmichael says the government hopes to help "develop new technologies that will increase the competitiveness of the medical imaging industry in Canada, help diversify our economy, and create high-value jobs."

These tools will also help provide more efficient and in many cases more comfortable health care, increasing the number of procedures that can be done on an out-patient basis and speeding up recovery times. The funding will provide both research and business support as the partners work towards the commercialization of these technologies.

Writer: Hamutal Dotan
Source: John Carmichael, MP, Don Valley West

Toronto's ZBx Corporation, based in Don Mills, has grown rapidly after developing the ZAP rapid diagnostic test, which can help identify various ailments on the spot in 10 to 15 minutes, using a single drop of blood drawn from a finger. Founded in 2002 with two employees, the company has now grown to employ 11 staff as it prepares to bring its product to market around the world.

In a speech delivered at ZBx headquarters last week, federal Minister of State for Science and Technology Gary Goodyear said the company was "a perfect example of what our government wants to achieve with our innovation agenda." He noted that over a period of years, ZBx was a recipient of several grants through the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program.

ZBx president and CEO Doug Ball recently told the National Post that the granting program is "the unsung hero in the Canadian bio-medical sector. They do an excellent job of picking projects to support, assisting entrepreneurs to go where Canadians have never gone."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: Michèle-Jamali Paquette, Office of Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology); ZBx Corporation, Financial Post

Fisker Automotive bills itself as a maker of the "world's first true electric vehicle with extended range"—and they're luxury cars, to boot. This month the company opened its first Toronto showroom, employing one staffer, with its Fisker of Toronto location at the Shops of Don Mills.

General manager Michael Cornacchia says that so far, customers have been very impressed to see the two models on display.

"It's been very positive. We've got a good mix of people, and I think they're just excited to see a car dealership in the mall," says Cornacchia. All Fisker vehicles are custom-made; Toronto customers can expect delivery within three months of ordering.

The cars boast high-end sedan performance with low energy consumption: "It can travel from  zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds," states the news release, "yet was recently given an astonishing emissions rating of just 51g/km CO2 by the TUV [an independent European inspection agency] and a 112mpg equivalency rating."

Shops of Don Mills marketing representative Lauren Genz says the Fisker location was a natural fit with the mall's concept. "It's a good pairing. We're re-thinking the retail experience and they're re-thinking cars as a sustainable luxury product."

The Fisker Karma—that's the model Justin Bieber got on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for his 18th birthday—will sell for $102,000 when it becomes available in the coming weeks.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: Michael Cornacchia, Fisker of Toronto; Lauren Genz, Shops of Don Mills

Toronto's QA Consultants predicted big demand for on-shore quality assurance testing when it opened its Test Factory on Sparks Avenue in North York last July. And big demand is what QA Managing director Brian Grieve says they have found.

"The amount of revenue and number of clients we've acquired through the facility over the past six months has been growing by leaps and bounds," he says. "We've seen 80 per cent growth over the past six months."

Grieve says the staff, which was at 12 when the Test Factory launched, has grown to 85, and the company has launched a training program to "immerse recent university graduates in QA over a three-month period." The company is just now filing its first patent. "I remember standing and looking at my old office and thinking it was so quiet. It gets a little loud now," he laughs.

He expect it to get louder in the near future, as Grieve's business plan calls for roughly doubling the client base over the next six to nine months, "and we expect to double staff, too." He's not worried about where to house all the new people. Their 60,000-square-foot facility can comfortable fit 600 employees.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Brain Grieve, Managing Director, QA Consultants

Yonge Street has reported on the explosive growth of technology company ViXS twice in the past year, and the good news has continued flowing for the company. Just last week, ViXS was named one of the top tech companies in Canada and its CEO, Sally Daubs, was named a top female entrepreneur by the prestigious Deloitte Fast 50.

Last month, the provincial government announced an investment that will help ViXS develop a new energy-efficient media processor to power multimedia devices including set-top boxes, TVs and digital recorders. The devices will help stream content to mobile tablets and smart phones.

The investment will help ViXS create 107 new jobs in Toronto. "We're positioning ViXS as an ahead-of-the-curve leader in digital media delivery," Daubs said in the announcement. "Through this investment, we can increase our world-class employee base, expand our global presence and support the GTA's ever-growing ICT cluster development."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Andrew Block, Office of the Minister of Economic Development and Innovation

HRCarbon, a Toronto-based consulting and education firm specializing in carbon management, will soon be partnering with Ontario colleges to help companies in Canada and around the world lower their carbon footprint and, as founder Jay Parmar says, better engage in "climate risk management."

Under a program announced this month, the company will partner with Durham College to develop software to help companies assess and manage their transportation-related carbon emissions. And in a separate partnership that is awaiting announcement by a government agency, according to Parmar, HRCarbon will help develop a course to see 180 students—drawn from existing professionals such as accountants and lawyers— obtain certification as Greenhouse Gas Inventory Quantifiers, in project management and in LEED certification. Parmar points out that HRCarbon is currently the only firm in the world offering education that leads to CSA certification for Greenhouse Gas Inventory Quantification.

Founded four years ago, HRCarbon discovered that in its early consulting meetings, up to 80 per cent of time was being taken up simply explaining the concept of climate change risk management. So they established educational courses on the subject targeted at corporate clients. Since then, the company has established offices in the US and UK and offered its services around the world.

Parmar says the future is bright for the industry. "Every job out there is going to have sustainability embedded in it. And companies will need professionals who understand the risk metrics associated with it." Just as accountants have always helped companies manage their financial risks, he says, they will need to track, measure and manage the risks associated with their carbon footprints. That will become increasingly important as more countries introduce carbon taxes.

Parmar says the company expects to do some hiring over the next year, but cannot say exactly how many new staff will be added. However, he points to still another growth area. "We've partnered up with the CSA and Cushman Wakefield to develop green business standards through a registered Carbon Neutral Program," he says. That program will be launched in July.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Jay Parmar, founder, HRCarbon

The Don Mills-based web analytics company Unilytics ramped up its expansion into the US last week with the opening of an office in Palo Alto, California [PDF]. Company President Peder Enhorning said the new office was a response to the growing list of American clients, and the Silicon Valley location would ensure the company was "close to our customer base."

Unilytics is headquartered on Eglinton near the Don Valley in Toronto, where the company has built a web analytics empire built on analysis software of its own and web optimization consulting for other projects, especially Google Analytics (they were the first authorized Google consultant in Toronto).

The company's list of over 800 clients includes large finance and institutional clients, and various institutional and government agencies (including the City of Toronto, the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada). They are hiring in Toronto now.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Sheri Bellak, Unilytics

Recurrent Energy, a subsidiary of Japanese giant Sharp Corp., announced earlier this year that it had signed a deal with Toronto manufacturing giant Celestica to produce solar panels here. The agreement is expected to create 300 full-time manufacturing jobs locally and to further create another 2,000 construction jobs, according to the provincial government's estimate.

Recurrent Energy says the production run, expected to begin this summer, is designed to fulfill the local-supplier requirements of Ontario's solar Feed-in-Tariff program. Provincial Minister of Energy Brad Duguid issued a statement saying this is evidence of how his government's policy is creating a local industry as well as reducing our carbon footprint. "This is another great example of how Ontario is showing the world that we are open to innovative, high value renewable energy projects," he said.

Mike Andrade, a senior VP of Celestica, said in the announcement that the agreement is an example of how his company is "pleased" to help deliver on the employment promise of the provincial legislation, "This agreement reflects the depth of Celestica's solar strategy and is emblematic of our strong capability to deliver innovative supply chain solutions to the solar market to meet the demand for new energy-generation alternatives in Ontario." Indeed, Celestica recently received the "Green Supply Chain Award" from Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: Patricia Pytel, Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade; Sean Gibson for Recurrent Energy; Celestica

Toronto's ViXS Systems has long been a leader in developing and supplying semiconductors and multimedia processors for the growing industry of manufacturers of TVs, DVD players and computers.

Now, with the help of a $6.15 million grant from the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, ViXS is in the midst of developing a next-generation video chip for the industry. The research and development project represents a $40.97 million investment for the company in total (including the provincial grant), and is seeing the company's existing staff of 96 grow by 44 new employees.

ViXS CEO Sally Daub says the government grant is allowing the company to "hire world class talent" while building on its position as a leader in video engine technology. She says the investment is also allowing the company to expand its global reach to new customers.

The company has been exploding, consistently ranking for the past three or four years high on both the Profit 100 and the Deloitte Fast 50 lists of fastest growing companies in Canada (it's shown roughly 300% revenue growth in the past three years). According to Profit magazine, the company is also the 15th fastest growing female-led company in the country.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: Janet Craig, ViXS; Leigh Ann Popek, office of the Minister of Economic Development and Trade

Korean-born busniessman Jeffrey B.H. Min founded his first Galleria Korean supermarket in North York in 2003, which now (moved a block north into Vaughan) employs 120 people, and in November of last year opened a second location at Don Mills and York Mills, which created 120 new jobs. Between those milestones, Min has earned plenty of recognition: Grocer of the Year awards from the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers in 2009 and 2010, a Business Leader of Character Community Award in 2007 and the Ontario Newcomer Champion Award in 2008.

Min gets still more much-deserved recognition this spring, when he'll be awarded a New Pioneer Award for entrepreneurship from Skills for Change at a ceremony this March. The awards, known as the "Oscars of diversity," have been given out annually for the past 19 years to recognize the phenomenal achievements of Canadian newcomers in a variety of fields.

In their award citation, Skills for Change notes that Min overcame his initial lack of English to learn the Canadian business culture and create a bridge between Korean and Canadian markets. In addition to his supermarkets themselves, Min has created a Korean importing business and launched his own brand of Korean food products; innovated in the grocery business by developing a customer service management system that connects customers directly to suppliers in Korea, a real-time sales reporting system, and an inventory control system that links his stores directly to his warehouse.

Min is also active in community service, both for his employees who benefit from language and cultural training programs, and to the broader community, who have access to Galleria events spaces for community events.

The Skills for Change New Pioneer Awards take place on March 3 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. See their website for more information.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Jessette Nepomuceno, Skills for Change

Recently, Sally Daub was recognized in the trailblazer category at the RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Awards. As the co-founder, president and CEO of ViXS systems, she's overseen the Toronto-based company's growth from semiconductor start-up to world leader in the production of smart network multimedia processors to fuel the digital video revolution.

Founded in Toronto in 2001, the company now has offices on three continents and has filed more than 240 patents. Daub's recognition (which follows her inclusion on the PROFIT magazine Woman 100 list last year) caps a year of recognition for the still-growing firm. This fall, ViXS was ranked the 106th fastest growing tech firm in North America and the 21st fastest growing tech firm in Canada by Deloitte. The company notes it has been a fixture on the Deloitte "Fast 50" list for four years running. Earlier in the year, ViXS was rated 44th on PROFIT magazine's annual list of the 100 fastest-growing companies in Canada.

"We are extremely pleased to continue to be ranked among the top growing companies in Canada," Daub has said. "As a world leader in transcoding and advanced hosting in smart network multimedia processors, we continue to benefit from consumers growing appetite to view and experience digital media content from multiple sources."

And that growth continues. Currently, ViXS is hiring for more than 30 positions in its Toronto office.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Janet Craig, ViXS

QA Consultants, the Toronto-based software quality assurance company that has grown to be the largest of its kind in North America, has opened a new 20,000-square-foot software testing facility in North York that it says will be a cost effective alternative to overseas outsourcing.

"We are responding to market demand," the company's Managing Director Alex Rodov said in a statement announcing the opening. "Many Canadian businesses are looking to use on-shore facilities but in the past have been put off by the price.... the size of this operation means that we are talking about massive economies of scale, allowing us to offer prices that are competitive with off-shore facilities but at the same time can remove the difficulties often associated with off-shore work -- such as language problems and time-zone delays."

The facility, to be located in the building at 1 Sparks Avenue that was the former home of Hummingbird Communications (now Open Text), will employ roughly 250-300 employees, according to QA VP Harvey Dawson, the "vast majority" of which will be newly created positions.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Harvey Dawson, VP Client Services, QA Consultants

Got an Innovation & Job News tip? Email [email protected].

Just a few weeks ago, we reported on the launch of Cavet Technologies and its new LumiSmart Intelligent Lighting Controller, and already it's seeing accolades roll in and business lining up.

At the Canadian Advanced Technological Alliance Innovation Awards on May 19, Cavet received the award for Technology Commercialization. "What this means is we're getting traction," says company co-founder and Executive VP David Berg. "It means that we've brought a product to market that's going to mean something."

Berg says that in the weeks since the LumiSmart lighting system launched, they have received expressions of interest from potential buyers in more than 20 countries. "I can't get into specific numbers right now... but we expect this is going to result in substantial orders that will result in hundreds of jobs here in Toronto." Berg says that the environmentally friendly, energy-saving technology has the advantage of saving any company that implements it money. "People fundamentally understand that saving power is something that effects your bottom line."

Berg emphasizes that the company is proud to be local. "This is Canadian technology, designed in Canada and manufactured in Canada for the rest of the world."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: David Berg, Executive vice President of Product Management and Engineering, Cavet Technologies