Innovation + Job News

Construction on the redevelopment of Markham Stouffville Hospital began Dec. 6, after a fixed-price contract was signed with PCL Constructors Canada for $200.4 million. The redeveloped facility will include two new wings and renovations to existing areas of the hospital, that will double the size of the facility. The expansion will include a new emergency department, more beds, and new diagnostic imaging, maternity and mental health units.

According to Jim Dougan, regional president of PCL, the construction itself will create about 300 on-ste jobs during its peak. The enhanced facility will create even more new jobs once it opens -- an estimated 875 staff will be added to the current 1,700, including 60 new physicians (in addition to the 275 currently employed).

Hospital President and CEO Janet Breed credited partners at Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Health for helping fund 90 per cent of the project's construction costs, and said it will benefit residents of York Region. "This announcement assures our community they will have access to a state-of-the-art hospital," she said.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Lisa Joyce, Markham Stouffville Hospital

As November ended, the Toronto-based company International Power Canada marked a significant milestone in Ontario's innovative Feed-in-Tariff renewable energy program when it became the first company to install locally manufactured turbines. The company accepted delivery of the turbines at its Pointe-Aux-Roches Wind Project -- the first to go under construction in the FIT program -- noting that they were made by Vestas with Ontario steel processed by Essar Algoma Steel.

International Power Canada President Mike Crawley noted that the milestone represents a significant boost not just to the immediate economy, but to the long-term employment prospects for the province. "These jobs are important ... the region is poised to become a clean energy powerhouse. With additional projects expected under FIT, there will be jobs for many years to come."

International Power Canada is the Canadian subsidiary of International Power Plc, formed when the company purchased AIM PowerGen Corporation in 2009. The $117 million wind farm at Point-Aux-Roches is expected to be completed in 2011.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: David Timm, International Power Canada

Corktown-based SunEdison -- a fast-growing solar energy provider in Ontario -- has signed a contract with a local manufacturer to create green jobs supplying its projects in Ontario. The contract with Flextronics' Newmarket plant to supply solar photovoltaic panels will create 100 new jobs in the GTA beginning in the second quarter of 2011.

SunEdison President Carlos Domenech notes that that the agreement will allow the company to meet the requirements for local production in the province's Feed-in-Tariff program, but also says the move represents "a significant long-term investment in the Ontario solar market," a market he sees booming in the immediate future.

Jason Gray, VP and country manager for SunEdison, says that the initial initiative will produce 50 megawatts of annual panel capacity, but could scale up to 200 megawatts over time, so it has "the potential to create even more green jobs for the province."

The company notes that this contract follows an earlier launch of manufacturing of solar racking equipment at Samco Machinery in Scarborough.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Jason Gray, SunEdison

Professor Peter Zandstra of the University of Toronto's Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering sums up the dilemma facing medical innovators nicely. "The problem is that many new and potentially life-changing regenerative medicine-based treatments never reach patients because they are not successfully moved from the laboratory to a stage where they can be used in medicine," he says. That's why he's heading up, as chief science officer, the new Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), a partnership among research and private sector entities to commercialize innovations.

The project, which focuses on advancements in regenerative medicine -- which includes cutting edge techniques such as stem-cell therapy, regenerative biomolecules, tissue engineering and the use of biomaterials -- will aim to bring lab advancements to market. "Our plan is twofold -- to leverage our advances in biomedical research and engineering and create an RM commercialization pipeline to get our innovations into the marketplace and to people suffering from these difficult health conditions," says Zandstra.

The project got a shot in the arm from the federal government's Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research competition, which awarded CCRM $15 million on Dec. 6. That money will be added to $13.7 million contributed by private sector partners to fund the project.

In addition to  U of T, the project partners include the University Health Network, The Hospital for Sick Children, McMaster University, Mount Sinai Hospital, the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and 16 private sector companies.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Laurie Stephens, University of Toronto

Financial-District-based SkyPower Ltd. was among the pioneers of solar energy in Ontario. In 2009, they were partners in First Light I, the first utility-grade solar farm to become operational in Canada.

Now the company has announced that it has secured $70 million in financing from New York's Deutsche Bank for two new solar farms in the province, to be located in Stone Mills and Thunder Bay. "We are so proud to close financing on our fourth and fifth solar projects and to solidify the arrival of this new era of renewable energy in Ontario," said SkyPower president and CEO Kerry Adler, saying the company's local success was a tribute to how Ontario's green energy policy is working. "We look forward to the closing of financing on many more solar projects in the months ahead and helping provide a cleaner, brighter future for generations to come."

The two projects, scheduled for completion in mid-2011, are expected to generate 19 million kilowatt hours in their first year, enough to power 33,000 homes.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Hando Kang, SkyPower

"Ranked 22 out of 29 in children's health in developed countries by the OECD, Canada needs to invest in the health and wellness of our children and youth in the same way that we invest in infrastructure or science and technology," says Dr. Kellie Leitch, founder of The Sandbox Project. The innovative approach to dealing with mental health, injury prevention and healthy weight launched Dec. 2 at an event in Toronto.

At the event, Michael Wilson, Canada's former ambassador to the United States, pointed out the need for the program. "The Sandbox Project is both important and timely," Wilson said. "Dr. Kellie Leitch's groundbreaking research points out the need and the way Canada should be dealing with children's mental health."

The project will bring together experts and channel their knowledge into interactive tools and social media and, according to organizers, "build partnerships between parents, academic leaders, industry and governments to make Canada the healthiest place on earth for children and youth to grow up."

Ensuring the health of children, Dr. Leitch notes, is not simply morally right, but "is critically important for our long-term well-being as a country."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Cara Salci, National Public Relations, for the Sandbox Project

Toronto-based startup Peraso Technologies Inc recently announced the closing of a round of follow-on financing in which it secured $8 million. Peraso has developed the world's first 60 GHz multimedia transceiver to -- initially at least -- serve the consumer wireless mobile market.  The financing, according to Peraso CEO Ron Glibbery, will be used to bring the innovative technology to market.

"Bringing the world's lowest cost, lowest power 60 GHz transceiver to market within a year of receiving initial venture funding is a significant accomplishment" says Brian Antonen of Celtic House Venture Partners, who invested during the initial funding round in fall 2009, which generated $10 million, and led the equity financing group this time. In addition to Celtic House, this round of financing included iNovia Capital, VentureLink Funds and the Ontario Emerging Technologies Fund.

"The 60 GHz wireless market opportunity is growing rapidly," says Glibbery, adding that this financing and the participation of the province's Emerging Technologies Fund will allow Peraso to "compete with tier 1 competitors on a global scale."

As it gears up, the company is hiring four staff.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: Ron Gibbery, Peraso Technologies Inc., Jim Whitaker, VL Advisors Inc.

When it is finished next year, Toronto Rehab's $36 million Intelligent Design for Adaptation, Participation and Technology (iDAPT) will be one of the world's most advanced rehabilitation research and development facilities. In building it, Toronto Rehab and its partners at the University of Toronto say they have taken advantage of the innovations of several cutting-edge GTA companies.

"Creating this amazing research space has been a complex endeavour," says Dr. Geoff Fernie, VP of Research for Toronto Rehab. "And it's certainly thrown a few curves our way. We've been fortunate to draw on the expertise of so many Canadian companies."

CIMCO Refrigeration, for instance, was called on to build a movable ice floor for an ice chamber that will simulate winter conditions at the lab, the only one of its kind in the world. Software to control the simulator in the underground lab was custom-built by Markham's Quanser Inc. An overhead robotic safety system was designed by Toronto's Nuspark Inc. Meanwhile, movable plates across which study participants will walk were created by A-Tech Instruments.

The project is scheduled to be completed in 2011, and will be used to study older people and those with disabilities as they encounter challenges that mimic those faced in real life inside the lab's underground chamber.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Carolyn Lovas, Toronto Rehab

Portland-limestone cement (PLC) has been used in Europe for over 25 years, according Paul Ostrander, president of Mississauga-based cement manufacturer Holcim Canada, but it has never before been tested in Canada. This despite some strong sustainability points to recommend it: it generates lower greenhouse gas emissions in its manufacture than regular Portland Cement, and up to 10 per cent fewer carbon dioxide emissions.

So Holcim Canada has recently teamed up with researchers at the University of Toronto and the provincial Ministry of Transportation to run two trials on PLC in actual road projects. Video of the test is available to watch here.

According to U of T professor Doug Hooton, the testing has already shown a 33 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and there is no expected reduction in durability or effectiveness. The University of Toronto will be monitoring the trial sections over the next three years to evaluate its performance.

Holcim Canada currently employs 3,500 people in manufacturing products for the construction industry. In addition to it's Mississauga plant, it also owns a manufacturing facility in Joliette Quebec.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Junaina Saulat, Holcim Canada

In June, Naheed Mustafa reported for Yonge Street about the Toronto startup Cognovision, a MaRS client and the brainchild of local entrepreneurs Haroon Mirza, Shahzad Malik and Faizal Javer. The company had solved the problem of measuring the effectiveness of digital signage by embedding sensors in them to monitor the behaviour of passersby.

Earlier this month, MaRS announced that the startup had graduated in the way that so many tech dreamers do: by being acquired by one of the world's computing giants. Intel Corporation has purchased Cognovision. Though the terms of the deal were not disclosed, online industry news sources estimated the size of the deal as between $17 million and $30 million.

Mirza gave credit to the Toronto business incubator MaRS for its help in building the company and paving the way for the deal to happen. "We're grateful for the work that MaRS did over the years to help us move CognoVision from a concept to a rapidly growing business. The MaRS team have been a valuable extension of our own team and an integral part of our success," Mirza says. "We've benefitted from guidance on our strategy, financing and marketing/sales at every stage of the company's development. They have also been very helpful in supporting us as we developed partner relationships here in Canada and abroad."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Vanessa Caldwell?, MaRS Discovery District

Allergan Inc, a global healthcare company with a Canadian head office in Markham, recently got approval from Health Canada for its eye medication Restasis, which the company claims is the "first prescription eye drop to target the underlying causes of chronic Dry Eye."

University of Ottawa opthamology professor Dr. Bruce Jackson explains that the condition can cause reduced vision and impair such tasks as driving. "By increasing tear production, Restasis is the first approved drug that targets the underlying causes of Dry Eye," which, he says, can improve quality of life for patients.

Allergan has been in the eye care business internationally for over 60 years, though it has since branched out into other specialties including neurosciences and obesity. It's Canadian operation currently employs 170 people and is currently hiring five more in the GTA.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Amanda Mills Sirois, Allergan Inc.

Ryerson University has received $750,000 in funding from the federal government to assist in developing partnerships to commercialize its innovative research. The money, granted under FedDev Ontario's Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative, will allow Ryerson's newly established Digital Media Zone to partner with small and medium-sized businesses in southern Ontario to move university-based innovations into the marketplace.

"Ryerson has a rich history in applied technology research," notes Carla Cassidy of the University Research and Innovation department. "By connecting our outstanding entrepreneurial students and faculty members with small and medium-sized enterprises... we can move digital innovations seemlessly from the lab to the marketplace."

The Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative was launched earlier this year -- as was reported here in April -- specifically to aid businesses and capitalize on academic applied research. So far, 22 grants have been given to schools from the $15 million fund, including seven to GTA programs.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Heather Kearney, Ryerson University

Just last week, SunEdison VP Jason Gray told us that his company planned to create jobs in the GTA through contracting locally -- and already the proof of that statement is showing. At a media event last Friday, provincial minister of energy Brad Duguid toured the Scarborough plant of Samco Solar, where racking equipment to supply SunEdison's solar installations will be manufactured.

Since the 1970s, Samco has been in the auto parts manufacturing business. But as a result of a contract with SunEdison and, according to company VP David Pritchard, the provincial government's incentives to grow the renewable energy industry, the company has adapted its plant to manufacture solar equipment. "Ontario's commitment to adding new sources of renewable energy has helped stimulate our business and create manufacturing jobs," says Pritchard. "Working with a solar powerhouse like SunEdison has provided Samco with a significant opportunity for expansion."

The retooling is expected to create 60 jobs at the Scarborough plant -- a fact that Duguid called a "great success story" for the new sustainable economy in the province.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: David Pritchard, Samco; Office of Brad Duguid; Jason Gray, SunEdison

Last week, Toronto-based Mindshare Learning announced that it had partnered with San Diego-based software firm Tech4Learning to win a bid to provide Ontario public elementary schools with creativity software. The software will allow students to develop podcasts, online storybooks, videos and Flash animations.

According to Mindshare Learning President Robert Martellacci, this is an important step for local schools in the "emerging 21st-century movement that requires kids to be prepared for the global economy." Martellacci had a background in educational technology that led him, in 2008, to launch Mindshare as a publisher about educational technology and a consulting firm in the same field. He says that since then, his firm has seen 50% year-over-year growth in the field, and now employs five to 10 people -- mostly contract employees -- at any given time on a project-by-project basis.

Martellacci says that, in the absence of any federal educational standards body in Canada, a company like his that can help share information across provinces is pivotal. "There was a real pent-up demand for this type of service," he says. "I'm constantly being courted -- I expect even more explosive growth on the horizon."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Robert Martellacci, Mindshare Learning

Health Canada has given its approval to the new antiepileptic drug Vimpat from UCB Canada. The treatment represents a potential benefit to sufferers of epilepsy and a toehold in the neurological treatment field for Oakville biopharmaceutical company UCB.

The Oakville office, the Canadian branch of international pharmaceutical giant UCB, had previously had a treatment for immunology, according to Business Unit Director Ross Glover, "This is a big milestone for the company � this is the first of several neurological treatments we intend to bring to the Canadian market."

The company's Canadian office was launched in 2006, Glover says, with the dual goals of bringing UCB's global therapies to the Canadian market and to do homegrown research that would "bring the benefit of our Canadian neurologists to the global platform." In its four years, the company has grown to employ 28 staff in the GTA.

This approval will of course, Glover says, mean growth for the company, and he anticipates further growth in step with research outcomes. "As far as employment goes, I expect ongoing hiring for the next five years as we go forward and as we have success."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Ross Glover, UCB Canada Inc.