Research and Innovation : Innovation + Job News

Cavet Technologies launched a new product this week out of the Yonge-Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto, introducing an innovative, environmentally friendly lighting product in 15 countries. The LumiSmart ILC (which stands for Intelligent Lighting Controller) is a patented device that controls florescent lighting systems for businesses to save energy without effecting the comfort of a building's occupants.

The company boasts that although they just launched this week, they draw on a decade of research by the founders and own six patents. Company spokesperson Leslie Taschner says that though the company launches with fewer than 10 employees, it will be partnering with Don Mills-based Celestica to manufacture and ship the LumiSmart around the world, which could produce a number of additional jobs in Toronto.

Taschner says that the product is uniquely suited to its home of Ontario, given the Ontario Green Energy Act requirements and the recent local momentum around energy conservation, and notes that while headlines have recently been occupied by foreign company's partnering with the provincial government on renewable energy, Cavet is a proudly local company that will take Toronto-born clean technology, design and manufacturing to the world.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Leslie Taschner, Cavet Technologies

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

The provincial government has committed $7 million in funding to a new commercialization strategy for bioscience companies in the province. The money is aimed at aiding companies in getting their research to market.

The move came in response to a report from the Ontario Bioscience Industry Organization, "Industry Generated Recommendations for Sustainability and Growth of Ontario's Bioscience Industry in 2010 and Beyond." The group, which represents the private sector players in bioscience research and marketing, welcomed the investment from Queen's Park. "By providing this immediate support the province is recognizing the challenges facing Ontario bioscience companies," says OBIO president and CEO Gail Garland. "By giving these companies a shot in the arm, it will allow them to bring innovative technologies to market -- which benefits the health of Ontarians, the wealth of the province, and the health of the whole world."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Gail Garland, President & CEO, Ontario Bioscience Industry Organization

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

Asigra Inc. was essentially a cloud backup company before the cloud existed. Founded in 1986, the University-Heights-area privately held company was the first in the industry to provide an online backup and recovery platform. Founder David Farajun was frustrated with the loss of his own information, and set up a solution to the common problem. Since then, the company claims to have constantly led the market with innovations, and today it is among the largest backup enterprises in the world. And it is continuing to grow.

Last month, the company announced a new partner, NetApp, which is among the larger of their roster of several hundred. That and other new accounts have seen the company's staff swell by 20% this year, and according to Director of Marketing Programs Amrita Chandra, the company expects to add another 20 positions -- mostly in sales and sales engineering -- in the immediate future.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Amrita Chandra, Director of Marketing Programs, Asigra Inc.

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

When he founded Avante Security in 1996, company President and CEO Emmanuel Mounouchos was dedicated to helping ensure people's safety through innovative security devices. But in recent years, his company has expanded its focus to help people secure not just their immediate environment but the global environment as well, through innovations that have drawn notice.

Last year the company was named one of Canada's "Clean 15" green technology companies, and last week the Ontario's minister of the environment, Brad Duguid, visited the company's Don Mills office to see the Smartboxx Energy Monitor in action. Apparently, he was impressed. "Energy Conservation is a key priority under Ontario's landmark Green Energy Act," Duguid said in a statement after the visit. "Innovations led by private sector companies, such as Avante can help lead a culture of conservation through the creation of consumer friendly products to manage the energy we use in our daily lives."

The Smartboxx monitor allows people to remotely monitor and control their energy usage using the web or a smartphone. According to the company's website, they are always on the lookout for new staff.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Emmanuel Mounouchos, President and CEO, Avante Security

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

At the inaugural Green Innovation Awards presented by the Toronto Community Foundation on April 23, three winners received chunks of the $50,000 prize pool as start-up money for their proposed environmentally innovative business ideas.

The biggest cheque was for $25,000 to Robert Kori Golding, who proposed a Facebook and iPhone game application that would see people build Green Cities in the game, and earn carbon credits tradeable in the game environment by completing real-world missions such as attending farmer's markets or changing light bulbs.

Golding says that the project is in its infancy, but he plans to work with a team of advisors to use the prize money to raise further capital to turn the game idea into a reality.

$10,000 went to Olivier Trescases for his Green Gym idea that would harvest energy from workout equipment to feed the electrical grid. And former Torontoist editor Sarah Lazarovic picked up $15,000 in support of her GreenHouseTO idea to build a website and mobile application that would give homeowners, builders and renovators access to information about green building.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: Robert Kori Golding, My Green Toronto; Toronto Community Foundation

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

You could say that Markham-based Redline Communications is on a bit of a roll. Last month, the broadband company announced their part in a US$50 million contract to supply wireless infrastructure across Romania. Earlier this month, they announced they'd won a $1.8 million contract for the "Digital Rio" program in Brazil. And just this week, on April 23, Redline announced the appointment of three senior management staff to help lead the company in its growth.

As of May, Bruce MacInnis will be joining the company as Chief Financial Officer, Robert Williams as Senior Vice President of Operations and Engineering and Lynda Partner as Vice President, Marketing. "I am pleased to welcome Robert, Lynda and Bruce to the Redline management team," acting CEO Eric Melkasaid said in announcing the appointments. "We are excited to have three seasoned executives who, through their extensive experience and unique perspectives, will enhance our ability to execute on our strategic vision and drive our success over the long-term."

Redline was founded in 1999 and set up headquarters just north of Toronto. In just over 10 years of operation, they claim more than 50,000 installations in 80 countries, making it a world leader in broadband technology and innovation.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Duval Yeager, Redline Communications

A $15 million innovation initiative launched April 19 in Oakville by the Federal Government's Economic Development Agency will help Ontario small- and medium-sized businesses partner with Colleges and Universities to bring innovative products and services to market. At the launch, federal minister Gary Goodyear said that the Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative would drive jobs and the economy.

The initiative will allow smaller businesses that would like to innovate to partner with post-secondary institutions who can help them with research and bringing new products to market. The funding will go to educational institutions that offer, according to an announcement, "services focused on improving innovation, productivity and commercialization to help individual businesses with pre-commercialization activities. These activities may include: product and process applied research; engineering design; technology development; product testing; certification; and pilot testing as well as proof-of-concept work for a partner business."

Almost immediately, the move was applauded by representatives of the academic community. Polytechnics Canada, a national alliance of publicly funded colleges and institutes of technology, called the new program an "innovation game changer."

Nobina Robinson, CEO, Polytechnics Canada says that this pilot project is significant for her members in that it recognizes the role community colleges play in driving practical innovation and developing the economy. "The reason [community colleges] do research is to help companies and to give our students hands-on experience," she says, not to rack up credits as is often in the case with universities. "It's applied science, applied technology, appllied health, and what you see is the federal government saying they're going to give us the capacity to help companies and advance the economy."

In a release, Polytechnics Canada chair John Davies called it a win-win. "Everyone will benefit -- companies, Ontario colleges, students and graduates -- as well as the economy."

Those interested in applying can find information and applications at the FedDev website.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Nobina Robinson, CEO, Polytechnics Canada; Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear

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

In the wake of the success of Avatar and Sherlock Holmes, virtually every media commentator agrees that the future of the film business is in 3-D. But as the industry attempts to explore the storytelling potential of what is essentially a new medium, the local film industry finds itself facing an adjustment to a new type of production.

A series of initiatives, including Sheridan College's research project at Pinewood studios, are set to ensure that the GTA becomes a hub for 3-D filmmaking. The latest of these launches with a presentation April 23 at the Cinespace Studios in Toronto: 3D FLIC, a $1.4 million research project out of York University.

"The really interesting things will start to happen when people figure out how to use this technology," says Nell Tenhaaf, York University's research lead on the project. She says that the 3D FLIC project brings together partners from academia and various corners of the industry to explore technology, techniques and content. "We're trying to take on the whole package."

Tenhaaf agrees that the GTA is well-positioned to become a global hub for this new dimension of filmmaking. She says that many of the project's partners, including Cinespace film studios, have driving business and jobs as a key goal. "Certainly... that's what they want, to keep the studios full. We've always been a centre for film production," she says, noting that traditionally Toronto's attractiveness as a production centre varies from time to time based on the strength of the currency and the status of certain tax advantages. "If you have a solid expertise base, that makes you very attractive." Setting up that expertise base in 3-D is what this initiative is all about.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Nell Tenthaaf, Associate Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts, York University

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

This week, JumpPoint, a data management services company based in Mississauga, launched a new website that includes an interactive message board and a company blog. It is the formal launch of a re-branding for the company that President and CEO Glenn Mowat says is based on growth and a love for work. "We're living in an era of unprecedented growth opportunities in North America, and we're really set up to take advantage of that. And, as far as our team goes, we're also trying to build the company all of us have always wanted to work for."

And there are more and more people's desires to take into account in the second half of that mission: Mowat says the company has grown its workforce by about 30 per cent in the past six months, and expects to grow even faster in the immediate future. According to the company's website, they are hiring now.

Originally founded in 2007 as gloPlug Limited, the company was branded as GPL Solutions and recently rebranded as JumpPoint. Mowat attributes the company's rapid growth to the company's focus on "providing enterprise solutions to mid-market-sized companies" -- an emphasis aided by the entrepreneurship experience of JumpPoint's senior management. "A lot of our team have run businesses in the mid-market ... so we're offering them our experience -- what we've lived and breathed, and we're offering solutions we wish we'd had, and that we'd like to have."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Glenn Mowat, President and CEO, JumpPoint

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

Chris Nguyen, 27-year-old co-founder of TeamSave.com, came up with the inspiration to found his website while planning his wedding. "we realized that one dress would cost a certain amount, but that 1,000 dresses were much cheaper. So I thought, how do I supply that volume discount to the consumer market?"

He and his co-founder Lee Liu had already successfully launched and sold their first web startup (jobloft.com) in 2007, so they began researching a new initiative. Online, they encountered a few group-buying sites (such as groupon.com and webpiggy.com), but say they saw gaps in the business strategy.

So last week, the pair launched TeamSave.com, which offers products and services at deep discounts for a limited time -- potential buyers are encouraged to spread the word about the sale via social networks in order to get enough buyers to make the transaction go through. Already, the site is seeing a 40 per cent increase in its traffic. Before the end of the month, the pair anticipate launching apps for the iPhone, Blackberry and Android -- an innovation Nguyen is excited about. "Not only will you be able to shop on your phone, you'll be able to redeem your purchase on your phone. We believe the smart phone is here to stay, so we expect that to be a big part of our business."

The company is housed in Ryerson University's spanking new Digital Media Zone, an incubator of sorts designed to help students and graduates bring concepts to market. Nguyen says the environment there is incredibly helpful to a product like his, and also credits MaRS for providing strategic advice.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Chris Nguyen,Co-Founder, TeamSave.com

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

Gennum, a Burlington-based data communications, semi-conducter and connectivity company, has announced a slew of new products in recent weeks, including five new optical video modules and 3G cable modules.

Dr. Franz J. Fink, the company's president and CEO, says that the new products are the evolution of a new strategy the company has been working on for three years. "We're moving very rapidly to expand our portfolio of industry-first, industry leading products," he says. He expects to bring more new products to market in the next 12-15 months.

Founded in 1973, the company was traditionally a broadcast semi-conductor leader. It's strategy over the past three years has been to grow the high-speed data transmission side of its business. According to it's most recent quarterly earnings report, the strategy has been working -- in 2006 data transmission represented only 25 per cent of its sales, whereas today it is 45 per cent. Fink expects that share to be more than half in the near future.

The company employs more than 425 people worldwide, about 250 of those in the GTA. After three successive quarters of double-digit sequential revenue growth, the company is expanding its workforce. According to its website, they are currently hiring for 26 positions in the GTA (and more in its other offices across Canada and around the world).

Author: Edward Keenan
Source: Dr. Franz J. Fink, President & CEO, Gennum

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

IMAX -- the Canadian large-format film company based in Mississauga -- was born out of the cradle of so much Canadian innovation, Expo '67, when a small group of entrepreneurs decided to make a single, giant-screen projection system. The first permanent screen was installed at Ontario Place in 1971, and the technology has waxed and waned in popularity ever since.

But with the development of IMAX 3D and the tipping-point popularity of films that capitalize on the technology such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, business has been booming. The IMAX corporation recorded its first profitable year in three years in 2009, a year in which its stock price nearly tripled and it increased box office revenue for its films by 225% over the previous year. And that, company president Richard Gelfond pointed out in a recent interview, is in a year when most of the Avatar revenue was not yet included. "Avatar played a crucial role in increasing brand awareness with consumers. So people who've never been to IMAX before went for the first time to see Avatar. And it's early, but the evidence is they're coming back again..." he told The Motley Fool.com.

As it adds new screens across North America and around the world, it is poised to grow even more. All that growth means more jobs at the head office. The company is hiring three new staff members immediately.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: IMAX Corporation; The Motley Fool

Got an innovation and job news tip? Email [email protected].

SwapSity, a new website based in downtown Toronto, aims to allow Canadians to barter with one another instead of simply buying products.

"I wanted to make swapping accessible for Canadian consumers," says company founder Marta Nowinska. "There's lots of bartering that takes place among corporations, but up until now there's been nothing for consumers."

Nowinska suggests that the website could be a boon for job-seekers, who might swap labour in exchange for goods while they are between stops on their career path.

The business is free for consumers and posters, and works on a Free Economics model that charges for advertising and premium features.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Marta Nowinska, founder, SwapSity

Got an innovation and job news tip? Email [email protected].

Chemical Engineering students at Ryerson have designed a waste water treatment process using commercially available technology that would remove 90 per cent of pharmaceuticals and "Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds" from the water supply. The presence of drugs in waste-water -- and eventually in municipal drinking water -- is a growing concern, particularly around healthcare facilities where medical drug use is high.

The process, which won an honourable mention at the 2010 Ontario Engineering Competition, uses membrane biological reactors and advanced oxidation process to destroy harmful toxins. There are currently no sewage treatment plants in North America that use a process to adequately remove such toxins.

Kirill Cheiko, one of the four students who designed the process, said in a statement, "In Canada, the government doesn't enforce the removal of pharmaceutical drugs and EDCs... As a result, municipalities don't currently pursue removal, since it would incur extra expense. That said, it could also potentially reduce healthcare costs."

The students are now seeking funding to test the proposal in a laboratory.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Heather Kearney, Public Affairs, Ryerson University

Got an innovation and job news tip? Email [email protected].

With a staff of just over 100, Markham-based technology distributor Samtack punches above its weight -- in 2009 it saw over $130 million in revenue. And according to company President Royson Ng, a lot of that success can be attributed to the fact that more than 90 per cent of his staff are immigrants to Canada.

Samtack was recognized this week at the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council Immigrant Success Awards, on a stage with companies many times their size. The award, the RBC Immigrant Advantage Award shared with fellow winner Pitney Bowes, recognized how the company "leveraged skilled immigrant talent to respond to changing needs of mass merchant customers; increased market share with smaller, local, diverse retailers and purchased parts from overseas suppliers."

Samtack was founded in Markham 20 years ago but has seen business boom significantly since it went public on the Hong Kong stock exchange six years ago. It now has 27 per cent of the Canadian market in computer parts, supplying such giants as Best Buy and Wal-Mart.

Ng says that hiring people who are immigrants to Canada helps a company to better do business in an international environment. "Immigrants, regardless of where they come from, have a better understanding of local markets around the world," he says. That has helped Samtack set up supply chains and source parts from various global locations, especially China.

And the company isn't about to rest on its laurels. Currently, according to Ng, Samtack is looking to crack South American markets, and so is looking to hire people who speak Spanish.

Author: Edward Keenan
Source: TRIEC; Royson Ng, President, Samtack

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