research and innovation : Innovation + Job News

InDanio Bioscience, an early-stage drug discovery company founded by U of T researcher Dr. Henry Krause and his colleague Dr. Jen Tiefenchach to search for human nuclear receptors through the use of genetically engineered zebrafish. The research could lead to drug discoveries serving a lucrative market already estimated at $16 billion.

Last week, the Ontario Genomics Institute announced an investment of $100,000 in InDanio under its pre-commercialization business development fund. In the announcement, InDanion board member Dr. Paul Jefferson said that the investment would allow the company to identify the function of certain nuclear receptors and "thus form the basis for establishing commercial partnerships to further characterize such receptors and develop drugs targeting them."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: Alastair Harris-Cartwright, Corporate Communications Manager, OGI; John McCulloch, MaRS blog

As the election campaign comes to a close, the two candidates for mayor who have been leading in the polls have both endorsed a local software solution to make the city's website more accessible to those with disabilities.

An announcement by Riverdale-based eSSENTIAL Accessibility heralds commitments by George Smitherman and Rob Ford to make www.toronto.ca accessible to those with disabilities -- users who have trouble typing or moving a mouse or reading a screen, for instance. Both candidates display the company's blue wheelchair-and-computer logo on their campaign websites, and both claim a commitment to extending a policy of e-accessibility to city communications.

"The disability community wants to elect a mayor who understands and responds to their un-met online needs," says Spiro Papathanasakis, Director eSSENTIAL Accessibility Inc.  "The two leading candidates have demonstrated their commitment to digital inclusion and e-participation in the election process, which means Toronto will soon see the elimination of barriers to online government services that many disabled residents face."

The company provides a button that is a turnkey solution for website operators. When users with disabilities click on it, it allows them to download the assisted-browsing services they require to properly interact with the site. According a release, "As the first mayoral candidates in the world to embrace this technology, Ford and Smitherman are participating in an Online Social ResponsAbility initiative sponsored by March of Dimes Canada.  Their Toronto will be an e-City that institutionalizes these practices to achieve top rank on the global stage."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Spiro Papathanasakis, Director, eSSENTIAL Accessibility

Toronto entrepreneur Josh Sookman describes his startup Guardly's first product as "basically OnStar for your cellphone." The application, planned for a launch in December of this year, aims to provide personal safety through mobile devices by allowing a panic button on the phone to instantly reach dozens of people through multiple channels, including SMS text message, voice and instant messaging.

"I always wanted to build a business that would help people. Originally, I wanted to cure cancer," says Sookman. "I still do ... but this seemed like a more immediate way." Sookman, who has worked as an analyst with RBC's Blackberry Partners Fund and in biotech venture capital, among other things, says his knowledge of the mobile industry and his personal experience -- a common one, with parents who wanted him to have a cellphone early so they could be sure he was safe -- combined to inspire the idea.

Guardly is working in development mode now, with a lean staff of two (plus one intern) as they seek seed funding. But working from the innovation hotbed at Xtreme Labs, they are currently hiring an "iPhone Rockstar" and, depending on funding, expect to further staff up as they approach release. "I'd like to have a staff of six by the end of the year," Sookman says, "although of course that's contingent on closing financing. That's life at at a startup."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Josh Sookman, CEO, Guardly

On October 12, the TTC unveiled a couple new technical innovations that have long been awaited by those hoping to have a richer mobile relationship with the transit service.

One banner project that a spokesperson says has been in the works for some time (indeed, the announcement was scooped by Torontoist after a soft launch last week) is transit route functionality on Google Maps service. By pushing a small streetcar icon in the service's "Get Directions" mode, users can get directions by TTC between any two points in the city. The service functions on Blackberry and iPhone, as well as other mobile devices that host Google Maps applications.

In a related announcement, the TTC will now be releasing its schedules and its live, real-time GPS streetcar, subway and (within about a year) bus routing information as XML files at the city's Toronto.ca/open website. That service was launched in 2009 to provide municipal raw data in a format that allows private developers and citizens to use it for various forms of analysis and software applications. Just this month, toronto.ca/open earned an Award of Excellence for the City government from ESRI Canada. In accepting the award, City Chief Information Officer Dave Wallace said that such apllications are "a catalyst for innovation," and that the project "supports Toronto's vision of becoming an enabled City, where information technology is integrated with City services to provide effective local government anywhere, anytime, for everyone."


Author: Edward Keenan
Sources: Brad Ross, Communications Director, Toronto Transit Commission; Joy Chan, PR Specialist, ESRI Canada

A research team at the Hospital for Sick Children has unveiled findings that demonstrates a new laser technique significantly reduces scarring after surgery. The results of the team's research were published September 28 in the online, peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE.

The study examined the use of a new surgical laser called Picosecond IR Laser (PIRL) as compared to other lasers and traditional implements like scalpels, and showed that in mice, use of the PIRL reduced scarring by 50 per cent and led to wounds that heal faster.

"Achieving minimal scarring is beneficial to patients, especially in cases where scarring can be particularly debilitating," Dr. Benjamin Alman, a Sick Kids scientist who was one of the study's two principle researchers, said in a release. "By reducing healing time this new surgical method could also result in increased patient comfort and lower risk of secondary infections due to surgery." The study concludes that the technique looks promising and adult trials could proceed "as early as next year."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Matet Nebres, Media Relations Manager, The Hospital for Sick Children

After getting her Ph. D. in economics, Dr. Sherry Cooper began her career under the legendary term of Paul Volker at the US Federal Reserve Board. Later she moved to Toronto and became an economist with BMO, authored three books, and earned praise from the Globe and Mail as our "megawatt celebrity economist."

Today, Cooper's old mentor Volker, of course, is a key economic adviser to US President Barack Obama. But later this month, he'll appear at Arizona State University to present Cooper with this year's Lawrence R. Klein award for economic forecasting accuracy. The prestigious prize is given to contributors to an annual "Blue Chip Report" compiled by a panel of roughly 50 top forecasters for North America. Cooper earned her award for being most accurate for the years 2006-2009.

"Dr. Cooper had to predict correctly a very difficult period of time in the economy," Lee McPheters, economics professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business, said in a release sent out by BMO to celebrate the award. "These years straddled both expansion and contraction, both recession and the bottoming out. She was the most accurate in an impressive field of the world's best forecasters."

Cooper shared credit for her accuracy with her colleagues saying, "I am thrilled and humbled to receive this award on behalf of my economics team and especially my deputy, Douglas Porter. We were in a period of unnerving collapse and unprecedented volatility for which there were no historical playbooks."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Kim Hanson, Media Relations, BMO

The manufacturing business, as has been well reported, has spread around the world recently as a globalized economy has developed. As a maker of products designed to increase efficiency on the plant floor, Mississauga's Shoplogix has followed that business. According to company President & CEO Martin Ambrose, Shoplogix had deployed its product to four countries in 2007, a number that has grown to 40 countries today.

New investment in Shoplogix secured through the provincial government's Emerging Technologies Fund will allow Shoplogix to continue to expand its global footprint, Ambrose says, by further augmenting the product for international markets and by "driving out deployment" to those markets through marketing partnerships.

The product is Plantnode, a device similar to a mobile phone that monitors production assets on the plant floor to evaluate efficiency and to communicate immediately across the plant when materials shortages or breakdowns occur. Ambrose claims that Plantnode's value proposition is a 5-35% efficiency gain on each "production asset," which translates for his clients to savings of $1,000 to $35,000 per week on each asset.

Founded in 2002, the company has grown to employ 50 people worldwide, with 38 of those in Canada. Ambrose says the planned expansion will see him hire an additional 10-15 staff locally over the next 18 months.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Martin Ambrose, President & CEO, Shoplogix

The innovative dental application Prevora, developed by Mississauga's CHX Technologies Inc., has been shown in trials to reduce cavities in uninsured adults and those using state dental services by 60 per cent. Already approved for sale in Canada and Ireland, the company reached another marketing milestone when Prevora was recently approved for sale in the UK by the European Medicines Agency. The organization also allows for the product to be recognized in other European Union member states.

Prevora is a topical application that coats the tooth and releases high-strength chlorhexidine into the tooth over the long term, inhibiting the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay. The company reports that the UK is a promising market for their product, as tooth decay is among the top three chronic diseases in older adults.

A statement sent by company President Ross Perry says the company will seek US approval for the treatment soon. He says that the recent news is a boon to the company's progress. "Prevora will reduce the burden of tooth decay amongst those high-risk dental patients who experience most of this disease in a family dental practice. This positive opinion by the EMA is an important step to Prevora's approval in European markets."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Ross Perry, President, CHX Technologies Inc.

A study presented this week by Prescient Digital Media President and CEO Toby Ward shows that social media tools are "exploding" on internal corporate intranets. Among the key findings is that 87% of intranets feature at least one social media tool; 52% of intranets feature discussion forums, 51% feature instant messaging and 49% feature wikis.

"The results are exciting because they confirm Prescient's belief that we are entering the age of the Social Intranet," Ward says of the study of 525 organizations from around the world. "While most organizations are still in the early days of deploying or experimenting with social media, many executives and employees alike are eager to see greater use and adoption of these tools."

Prescient, an internet and intranet consulting firm in Toronto that serves large clients such as CBC, CIBC and Mastercard, has made developing intranets that can boost sales and productivity its calling card. The recent study is just one of many initiatives the company has undertaken to drive understanding of the social tools available to company intranets -- Ward, for example, publishes a blog focused largely on the topic.

And as the industry grows, so is the company -- Prescient is hiring two senior staff right now.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Toby Ward, President and CEO, Prescient Digital Media

A new park opened on the Toronto Waterfront this week will not only serve its neighbourhood as a public space; it also features an innovative underground UV treatment facility that will collect and treat stormwater from the surrounding area. The treated water will flow out through three "art features" in the park to form a river flowing back into Lake Ontario.

The design of the $30.6 million Sherbourne Common park has already won architectural awards. At the opening of the park, Councillor Pam McConnell was joined by provincial Minister of Innovation Glen Murray and federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. All three politicians lauded the park, noting both the park's likely future as a destination on the waterfront and the jobs its construction has created.

In addition to green space and the innovative urban river, the park features a pond that will allow public skating during winter and an area for concerts and public gatherings. Waterfront Toronto Chair Mark Wilson noted it was the largest of three new parks opened on the waterfront in the past two months. "Today we are opening another must-see park on Toronto's waterfront," Wilson said. "By combining required municipal infrastructure with excellence in design, architecture and public art, Sherbourne Common offers a new model for city-builders nationwide and a fabulous year-round destination."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Samantha Gileno, Waterfront Toronto

Toronto-based office furniture design firm Teknion won the "Best in Show" Innovation Award at the IIDEX/NeoCon Canada design conference last week. The company presented its LED lighting system Conflux to the conference, which is Canada's largest design expo.

The Conflux system includes task lighting, floor lamps, desk lamps and undercabinet lighting, and introduces innovations, according to the company, with its flat-panel structure and body heat occupancy sensor. The quality of the light produced is said to be similar to daylight, with little shadow or glare.

The body heat sensor is particularly innovative: to save energy (in the already energy efficient LED lights), the lights contain an infared sensor that automatically detects if someone is present and shuts the light off at intervals if the room is empty. The Conflux system also acts as a power source for electronic devices, reducing clutter on desks.

Designer Carl Gustav Magnusson said that he wanted "refined lines and precise details ... to act as an anecdote to the visual clutter of busy work areas and elevate the aesthetics of LED lighting."

Interior Designers of Canada President David Hanson, in announcing the awards, said that the products featured had been thoroughly tested and would be "sure winners" in the marketplace.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: IIDEX/NeoCon; Mark Harris, Media Relations, Teknion Corporation

At the official opening of the Evergreen Brickworks on September 25, Mayor David Miller remarked, "our city has a reputation around the world as being a place of progress and excellence when it comes to environmental matters." The event he was there to mark should further that reputation, as the Brickworks officially set up shop as a sustainable innovation hub.

Billed as "Canada's first community environmental centre," the Evergreen Brickworks will act as both a proving ground for urban sustainable technologies and a gathering place for exploration, education and innovation on topics such as the green economy, ecology, transportation, water, energy and waste management. The facility in the Don Valley, just down the hill from Rosedale, has been under design and construction for eight years -- and has so far raised $46.5 million -- and is situated on the former site of the Don Valley Brickworks. The construction included the renaturalization of its grounds and the revitalization of on-site heritage buildings. Throughout the process, it has also become the site of the city's most popular farmers market.


Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Matthew Church, Evergreen

Canadian post-secondary students are being asked to look into the future for transformational technologies or practices that will change the banking industry five years from now. Those whose crystal balls prove most interesting or inspiring will share in $45,000 in prize money.

The fifth annual Next Great Innovator Challenge, announced last week, continues the company's tradition of seeking the ingenuity of students to drive forward the banking business. According to RBC, many of the winning submissions from past years have been refined by the bank and introduced, including the "VIBE interactive personal banking station," the 2007 winning submission, which is now a pilot project at the financial institution.

"We're working in a different landscape now and the very way in which people approach financial services is constantly evolving," said Avi Pollock, head, Applied Innovation and Strategic Planning, RBC, in a release. "This year's challenge takes this into consideration and we want to hear from students what they think financial services should look like in five years. It's not just about a good idea though: students must consider how to implement their innovation."

Teams wanting to enter must register by November 8 and submit entries by December 10. More information is available at the challenge website.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Avi Pollock, Head of Applied Innovation, RBC

Showing more than 40,000% revenue growth over the past five years, Markham-based Real Matters has ranked second on Deloitte's annual "Fast Fifty" list of the Canada's fastest growing technology companies. The company provides real estate information to institutions. As if to underscore the point, the company is looking to add 16 members to its staff -- including eight staffers to its tech hub redihive -- right now.

Real Matters' President and CEO Jason Smith says that redihive is the core that is driving the growth of the company. "Real Matters brings together the components required to effectively provide property information services: subject matter expertise and unique data. When fused through the innovative technology of redihive, we provide a solution that helps our clients make incredibly smart decisions," he said in a statement about the Deloitte ranking.

Founded in 2004 as Solidifi, the company was rebranded Real Matters just this July (a parent company for Solidifi, an appraisal management branch; iv3, a property insurance branch; and redhive, a cloud-based community that allows innovative data processing).

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Brent Artemchuk, Director, Corporate Marketing & Communications, Real Matters

This month, GTA chemist Nan-Xing Hu reached a research milestone when he earned a U.S. patent for a new book-binding process for colour production printers: it was his 100th patent. For the lab manager with the Mississauga Xerox Research Centre of Canada, the professional achievement carries personal gratification. "Having the ability to create a useful product that makes a difference in people's personal or professional lives gives me a great sense of accomplishment," Hu says.

The Chinese-born Hu, who spent time in Japan before resettling in Canada, says that Xerox's commitment to diversity and to research -- explored by Yonge Street in a profile of company VP Hadi Mahabadi last month -- helped him reach this impressive milestone. "I am constantly driven by technical challenges and external competition. The diversity of Xerox's culture and its people are a great inspiration, as is our management's strong commitment to fostering innovation."

Mahabadi added that Hu's accomplishment is an example of how those policies pay off for both the country and the company. "Nan-XIng is an extremely talented chemist. His talent not only improves Xerox's competitive offerings, but has added to the fabric of Canada's entire scientific landscape."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Laura Mergelas, Xerox Canada