Innovation + Job News

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

A group of 11 Canadian companies, including four from the GTA, announced last week that they'd form a consortium named Project Eve to drive innovation to help build the local electric mobility industry. "If Canada is to get its fair share of the new jobs that will come from electric mobility, interested local companies must advance and improve their technologies," said Al Cormier of Electric Mobility Canada. "This consortium is a step in the right direction.

The partner companies will share information and research in order to better develop components of electric vehicles and make them work better together. The companies include Toronto's Toronto Electric and NMA, Vaughan's Vecture and Markham's arcx. Also on the local front, the Electrical and Engineering Department of U of T is one of the academic institutions allied with Project Eve.

"We are confident that by working together we can advance the market goals of our members," says Steve Dalls, CEO of Toronto Electric and a Project Eve co-founder, noting that the "Canadian fleet environment" represents a substantial target for the group. "Our Fleet Program in particular represents a good opportunity for Canadian fleet managers to introduce electric vehicles into their daily activities and to learn about electric mobility directly from the people who make the technologies."

The open consortium are discussing adding more participants.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: John Scott, Director, Project Eve
 

As the ongoing municipal election campaign has demonstrated, building a bike-friendly city is not without controversy, and it's not easy. But the Netherlands has managed the job pretty successfully. "The bicycle is the most popular form of transportation for the 16 million people who live in the Netherlands," Dutch Consul General to Toronto Hans Horbach recently said in a statement. He noted that there are more bikes than people in his country, "resulting in less traffic, less pollution and a healthier population."

Visiting experts from the Netherlands were in town this week to share lessons from the most successful cycling country in the world with Toronto transportation planners, engineers and cyclists. During the two-day ThinkBike event held September 20 and 21 at the El Mocambo nightclub, experts shared best practices information about Dutch cycling infrastructre, and surveyed the downtown core and the Sherbourne Street corridor to suggest improvements for increasing bike use. According to organizers, the workshops included topics such as "bike safety, communting by bike, biking to school, bike parking, bikes and public transport, law enforcement," among others.

According to the City of Toronto, this is the first city to host such an event, though the example will soon be followed in Chicago and other North American cities.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Steve Johnston, Senior Communications Coordinator, City of Toronto

Environmentally friendly Xcelsior hybrid buses began zooming through the streets of Brampton this week with the launch of Zum, the city's first Bus Rapid Transit service at the new Brampton Transit Bramalea Terminal. Service along Queen Street in downtown Brampton to York University began this week, with further lines being constructed right through until 2021.

"Zum will not only bring jobs to our city through the construction, operation and maintenance of the service, but it will also make it easier for our citizens to get to their jobs, their schools, and their other commitments within Brampton and throughout the GTA," said Brampton mayor Susan Fennell in a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony. In addition to job creation, she noted the environmental benefits and the improvement to the quality of life of residents in her rapidly growing city.

The $285 million cost of the rapid transit construction is being shared equally by the provincial, federal and Brampton city governments.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Ian Newman, Office of the Mayor of Brampton

When the Globe and Mail reported in late May that the two 25-year-old founders of NuLayer Inc. were at the "hub of the iPad app revolution," the company had recently launched its innovative photo application Crowdreel and had landed a job developing Score Media's iPad application.

Last week Score Media announced that they had bought a 20% stake in the innovative, Liberty Village-based company, with an agreement that NuLayer will develop "disruptive" technologies for the media giant and continue to develop its own products. "Crowdreel was just the beginning and we have several exciting products on our road map," said NuLayer co-counder Jeff Brenner, calling the partnership with Score Media  "a new era for our team."

That team has grown to six employees since the company's recent launch by two McMaster graduates. The team is growing now, seeking a rails developer.

On the acquisition, Score Media Executive VP and COO Benjie Levy said, "We've now created an environment where NuLayer and Score Media can work together to develop innovative digital offerings while giving NuLayer the resources they need to achieve explosive growth."

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Sharon Lassman, Director of Communications, Score Media

The first academic labour relations centre funded by both unions and business opened its doors at Ryerson University last week as a hub of collaboration, research and innovation. In a symbolically appropriate move, union leader Buzz Hargrove and management professor Maurice Mazerolle were appointed co-directors of the new Centre for Labour Management Relations at the Ted Rogers School of Management.

"I think one of the most important issues to look at is job security and the dangers associated with crowd sourcing work in the new economy," said Mazerolle in introducing the centre's research mandate. "The modern workplace has reshaped the way in which we define work to the extent that there are now challenges in understanding new roles and relationships."

The centre's mandate is to be a research facility that brings together managers, labour, students, employees, academics and government players to study such issues as pension sustainability, avoiding strikes and wage and benefit cuts. During its first year, the centre will be hiring academic associates.

"The timing of the creation of the centre couldn't be better," Hargrove said, noting the economic landscape.

Writer: Edward Keenan
Source: Kathleen Powderly, publicist, for Ryerson University