Catrina Kronfli / en 茄子直播 researchers and decision-makers explore how聽to better support and scale startups /news/u-t-researchers-and-decision-makers-explore-how-better-support-and-scale-startups <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 researchers and decision-makers explore how&nbsp;to better support and scale startups</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/New-Horizons-startup.jpg?h=717fd861&amp;itok=NzgSs4hA 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-03/New-Horizons-startup.jpg?h=717fd861&amp;itok=W_btfzAF 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-03/New-Horizons-startup.jpg?h=717fd861&amp;itok=X3AU1CFo 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/New-Horizons-startup.jpg?h=717fd861&amp;itok=NzgSs4hA" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-03-07T12:04:20-05:00" title="Thursday, March 7, 2024 - 12:04" class="datetime">Thu, 03/07/2024 - 12:04</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Shiri Breznitz, director of research at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, speaks at a forum while Derek Newton, 茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;assistant vice-president, innovation, partnerships and entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurs Aman Thind of Conavi Medical and&nbsp;Deepak Ramachandran of FundThrough look on (photo courtesy of 茄子直播 Government Relations Office)</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/catrina-kronfli" hreflang="en">Catrina Kronfli</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">New Horizons event focuses on the role of public procurement, talent and capital in scaling young companies</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto鈥檚 entrepreneurship&nbsp;ecosystem, as well as the talent and networks in the Toronto region, plays a key role in generating and nurturing startup companies&nbsp;鈥 but challenges remain when it comes to scaling those startups into global players.&nbsp;</p> <p>That was among the takeaways from a recent policy forum hosted by 茄子直播鈥檚 Government Relations Office&nbsp;and&nbsp;Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy.&nbsp;</p> <p>The forum, part of the New Frontiers for Policymakers series, brought together decision-makers and 茄子直播 researchers to discuss how&nbsp;茄子直播 startups鈥 experience can help inform programs that support companies to grow and scale.</p> <p>鈥溓炎又辈 is inarguably a startup creation engine in Ontario,鈥&nbsp;said鈥<strong>Leah Cowen</strong>, 茄子直播鈥檚 vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.&nbsp;鈥淥ver the past decade, 茄子直播 researchers, clinicians and students have&nbsp;launched&nbsp;over 650 startups and created 10,000 jobs.</p> <p>鈥淥ur researchers are commercializing research at the frontiers of knowledge 鈥 from AI and medical devices to legal services and materials discovery.鈥疶hese companies are improving lives, creating jobs and supporting Ontario鈥檚 economic growth.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>Yet, while the 茄子直播 ecosystem has created some of Ontario鈥檚 fastest-growing companies, as ranked on lists such as MaRS Momentum and&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/ca/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/articles/fast50-winners.html" target="_blank">Deloitte Technology Fast 50</a>, Canada continues to face challenges when it comes to scaling up companies into global leaders.</p> <p><strong>Shiri Breznitz</strong>, a professor and director of research a the Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, moderated the conversation between startup and innovation leaders. &nbsp;</p> <p>An expert in entrepreneurship, innovation and technology, Breznitz said that despite Ontario鈥檚 talent, research and startup generation prowess, investments in research and development, and competitiveness in export markets remain barriers to company growth.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淎chieving scale-up requires a diverse policy approach,鈥 she said.&nbsp;</p> <p>The panellists 鈥 which included 茄子直播 alumni&nbsp;<strong>Aman Thind</strong>, who&nbsp;co-founded medical device-maker <a href="https://www.conavi.com/novasight/" target="_blank">Conavi Medical Inc.</a>, and&nbsp;<strong>Deepak Ramachandran</strong>, who co-founded AI-powered invoice-financing platform <a href="https://www.fundthrough.com" target="_blank">FundThrough</a><strong>&nbsp;鈥</strong>&nbsp;discussed the supports that startups need in order to grow while identifying several barriers to scaling up businesses in Ontario.</p> <p>They include:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Procurement</strong>:&nbsp;For medical device companies, it is often difficult to get their product into the health-care system due to regulatory barriers and risk-aversion. By becoming a first or early adopter of homegrown technologies, government and the broader public sector can help local companies grow and stay in Ontario. For example, 茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/resource/buy-blue-program/">Buy Blue Program</a>&nbsp;allows&nbsp;茄子直播 entities to become the first buyer of products or services developed by new 茄子直播 startups at a discounted price.</li> <li><strong>Access to capital</strong>:&nbsp;It can be challenging for startups to secure sufficient capital in Ontario, prompting many founders to pursue funding opportunities in the United States. Some of these firms eventually relocate south of the border. For its part, 茄子直播 provides founders with exposure to funding and top tier investors through events like 鈥淒emo Days,鈥 the&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/2024-desjardins-startup-prize/">more than $100,000 in non-dilutive funding awarded each year</a> during&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/explore-to/?utm_source=BMUTC&amp;utm_medium=googlesearchpaid&amp;utm_campaign=UTE2024&amp;utm_content=entweek&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAxaCvBhBaEiwAvsLmWPoIXFGolZtxdAMfTHDQ73NzbNLgxk_b98YDh5JhZYtE5hLQklZE_hoCPukQAvD_BwE">Entrepreneurship Week</a>&nbsp;and the investor-focused&nbsp;<a href="https://us7.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=6c4f5267e7b844c333f546c85&amp;id=2ee4b0e27b">Deep Tech Download</a> newsletter.&nbsp;</li> <li><strong>Access to resources and networks</strong>:&nbsp;Navigating government programs and funding opportunities is challenging for startups. Organizations such as MaRS&nbsp;play a valuable role by helping founders identify relevant supports and a path to reach their next milestone.&nbsp;茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/accelerators/">12-plus&nbsp;accelerators</a>&nbsp;provides founders across 茄子直播鈥檚 three campuses with a variety of supports, including go-to-market strategies, mentorship, networking events&nbsp;and incubation spaces.&nbsp;</li> <li><strong>Access to a diverse set of skills</strong>:&nbsp;Talent is key to ensuring technology firms remain competitive. And for startups looking to scale, hiring individuals who previously scaled a company and possess strong sales and marketing skills is important. To this end, the university鈥檚&nbsp;<a href="https://jobs.entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/jobs">Startup Job Board</a>&nbsp;helps startups in the 茄子直播 community connect with the talent they need to grow.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>鈥淚n recent years, we鈥檝e seen a growing number of students who want to pursue entrepreneurship as a career path,鈥 said&nbsp;<strong>Derek Newton</strong>, assistant vice-president, innovation, partnerships and entrepreneurship.</p> <p>茄子直播 offers 200 entrepreneurship-related courses, as well as a free&nbsp;<a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/ip-education/#:~:text=The%20IP%20Education%20Program%20is,broad%20foundation%20in%20intellectual%20property.">Intellectual Property Education Program</a>, noted Newton, who heads the university鈥檚&nbsp;Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office&nbsp;(IPO),&nbsp;a&nbsp;leader in patenting that files 75 priority patents applications and executing over 40 licensing and option agreements every year.</p> <p>With support from partners, the university is also investing in more spaces for future entrepreneurs, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://spacesandexperiences.utoronto.ca/real-estate/schwartz-reisman-innovation-campus/">Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/news-and-stories/partnership-will-boost-inclusive-entrepreneurship-and-innovation/">the Sam Ibrahim Centre for Inclusive Excellence in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://spinup.utm.utoronto.ca">UTM SpinUp</a>&nbsp;鈥 茄子直播鈥檚 first wet lab incubator.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥溓炎又辈 is committed to seeing these companies survive and thrive. Understanding what drives successful startup growth has huge implications for Ontario and Canada鈥檚 economy,鈥 said Cowen. 鈥淭his is why we are working to learn from our entrepreneurs and their experiences.鈥</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:04:20 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 306538 at Smart and clean growth conference draws industry, government leaders /news/smart-and-clean-growth-conference-draws-industry-government-leaders <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Smart and clean growth conference draws industry, government leaders</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-12/043A6486-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=KAqja_PD 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-12/043A6486-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8yNfMDGq 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-12/043A6486-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=bEIqXNCT 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-12/043A6486-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=KAqja_PD" alt="A panel is seen at the smart and clean growth conference"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-12-04T15:17:46-05:00" title="Monday, December 4, 2023 - 15:17" class="datetime">Mon, 12/04/2023 - 15:17</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo by Liz Beddall)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/catrina-kronfli" hreflang="en">Catrina Kronfli</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-positive-energy" hreflang="en">Climate Positive Energy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-change" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainabilty" hreflang="en">Sustainabilty</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Event organized by 茄子直播鈥檚 Climate Positive Energy and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce brings together researchers and leaders from government and industry</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>From innovative clean technology to smart building standards, University of Toronto researchers are working with industry and communities to reduce emissions in infrastructure and transportation 鈥 and to support a cleaner energy grid.</p> <p>That was among the takeaways from the inaugural Smart Growth Symposium, which recently drew more than 250 representatives from industry, academia and government to Hart House to showcase smart and clean technology solutions.</p> <p>The event was co-hosted by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and 茄子直播鈥檚 <a href="https://cpe.utoronto.ca/">Climate Positive Energy </a>(CPE) initiative, an <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/about-isi/">institutional strategic initiative</a> that brings together more than 500 researchers and students across 茄子直播鈥檚 three campuses to develop social, scientific, technical, economic and policy solutions that will help policymakers reach net-zero by 2050 and ensure an equitable energy transition.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/043A6335-crop.jpg?itok=ZZ92D9x1" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Leah Cowen, 茄子直播鈥檚 vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, said Climate Positive Energy is working with the university to create a climate positive campus (photo by Liz Beddall)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>鈥淲hile Climate Positive Energy is working to solve global problems, it maintains a laser focus on local impact,鈥 <strong>Leah Cowen</strong>, 茄子直播鈥檚 vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, said in her opening remarks.</p> <p>鈥淐PE is working closely with other groups across the university to create a climate positive campus by engaging researchers in projects that can be piloted right here at the university, with our campus functioning as a 鈥榣iving lab.鈥欌</p> <p>The Ontario government鈥檚 priorities, meanwhile, include balancing housing construction with environmental objectives and increasing green space in the province, said Andrea Khanjin, minister of environment, conservation and parks.</p> <p><strong>David Sinton</strong>, CPE鈥檚 academic director, said 茄子直播 has deep expertise in all the fields needed to help Canada achieve its climate objectives.</p> <p>鈥淭he critical role of strategic initiatives like CPE is that we bring together those disciplines, and match teams with industry, government, and other partners to achieve those goals,鈥 he said.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-12/043A6833-crop_0.jpg?itok=Mk_ecBvA" width="750" height="500" alt="the room at hart house was full of attendees" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>The event brought together more than 500 researchers and students across 茄子直播鈥檚 three campuses&nbsp;(photo by Liz Beddall)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The symposium included several panels that examined the shifts taking place across various sectors, including:</p> <ul> <li>Building Smart: The building sector is increasingly adopting technologies 鈥 from digital twinning to smart energy monitoring to retrofits 鈥 to improve overall performance and efficiency. Dima Zreik, director of investments at the <a href="https://cib-bic.ca/en/">Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)</a>, spoke to the CIB鈥檚 <a href="https://cib-bic.ca/en/sectors/green-infrastructure/">Building Retrofits Initiative</a>, which provides&nbsp;financing to decarbonize and improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings in both the public and private sector 鈥 including 茄子直播鈥檚 <a href="/news/u-t-partners-canada-infrastructure-bank-boost-climate-positive-efforts">Project Leap</a>. Derek Goring, Northcrest Developments鈥 CEO, stressed that to adopt new technologies in the building sector, there must be shared standards&nbsp;on data governance, referring to his ongoing collaboration with the <a href="/news/build-more-pollute-less-new-u-t-research-centre-tackles-need-sustainable-infrastructure">Centre for the Sustainable Built Environment</a> led by <strong>Shoshanna Saxe</strong>, an associate professor in the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Advanced Mobility: Electric vehicles (EVs) are sparking change across the automotive supply chain. Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers鈥 Association, noted the auto sector plans to <a href="https://www.cvma.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CVMA-Federal-Pre-Budget-Submission.pdf">spend nearly $1.2 trillion</a> through 2030 to produce millions of EVs, along with the batteries and raw materials needed to support that production. For Kingston, a key challenge is ensuring EV demand since adoption sits at 13 per cent in Canada amid consumers鈥 concerns about the availability of charging infrastructure and grid capacity.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Smart Energy Grid: With electricity demand from EVs and <a href="https://www.ieso.ca/en/Powering-Tomorrow/2021/The-Future-of-Electricity-Demand-in-Ontario">a growing population expected to double electricity demand by 2050</a>, concerns about the power grid鈥檚 reliability have grown. This is why CPE is spearheading the <a href="https://cpe.utoronto.ca/grid-modernization-centre/">Grid Modernization, Testing and Simulation Centre</a> with the support of 55 partners, said <strong>Shatha Qaqish-Clavering</strong>, CPE鈥檚 director of strategy and operations. Led by Professor <strong>Ali Hooshyar</strong>, the Ontario-based, state-of-the-art facility will help small- and medium-sized enterprises commercialize green technologies and develop solutions to ensure Ontario鈥檚 grid remains safe and reliable.</li> </ul> <p>Industry partners said the Grid Modernization, Testing and Simulation Centre will accelerate the adoption of new technologies.</p> <p>鈥淲e鈥檙e very excited about this centre,鈥 said <strong>Frank D鈥橝ndrea</strong>, Hydro One鈥檚 vice-president and executive lead, enterprise strategy and energy transition. 鈥淥ne way to offset affordability issues is to become innovative. We view 茄子直播 as a partner and are looking to test technologies, scale them, and bring them to utilities for adoption.鈥</p> <p>鈥淏efore we implement anything onto the grid, we need to ensure it鈥檚 safe and resilient,鈥 said Shitiz Agrawal, vice-president of power systems, sales and operations at Schneider Electric. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 unique about this centre is that it鈥檒l provide real-time simulation and engages all ecosystem players.鈥</p> <p>The collaborative approach adopted by the Grid Centre initiative is also evident in another effort led by CPE: <a href="https://cpe.utoronto.ca/u-of-t-led-collaboration-to-develop-community-tailored-clean-energy-technologies/">the CANSTOREnergy project</a>. The project, <a href="/news/u-t-led-collaboration-develop-community-tailored-clean-energy-technologies">which recently received a $24-million grant</a> from the federal government鈥檚 New Frontiers in Research Fund, involves researchers from 11 Canadian universities, led by Sinton, who are developing clean energy technologies tailored to meet the needs of two Canadian communities 鈥 one in Ontario and the other in the Yukon.</p> <p>Whether the domain is transportation, housing, or energy transmission, all panelists agreed that the time for action is now.</p> <p>Nolan Andres, chief of technology and innovation for Kindred Credit Union, said the existential threat of climate change is increasingly being met with a collaborative response 鈥 one that is "driving us closer together."</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 04 Dec 2023 20:17:46 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 304777 at Global experts gather at 茄子直播 to discuss how 鈥榮elf driving labs鈥 will revolutionize scientific discovery /news/global-experts-gather-u-t-discuss-how-self-driving-labs-will-revolutionize-scientific <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Global experts gather at 茄子直播 to discuss how 鈥榮elf driving labs鈥 will revolutionize scientific discovery</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-08/Accelerate-Conference-2023-5620-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_Ea5WLVl 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-08/Accelerate-Conference-2023-5620-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=kGPgaqtq 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-08/Accelerate-Conference-2023-5620-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Of5J2j3- 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-08/Accelerate-Conference-2023-5620-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_Ea5WLVl" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-08-31T14:44:06-04:00" title="Thursday, August 31, 2023 - 14:44" class="datetime">Thu, 08/31/2023 - 14:44</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Linda Hung, manager of Toyota Research Institute, speaks at this year鈥檚 Accelerate Conference at 茄子直播 (photo by Worker Bee Supply&nbsp;漏 Acceleration Consortium)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/catrina-kronfli" hreflang="en">Catrina Kronfli</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/acceleration-consortium" hreflang="en">Acceleration Consortium</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/creative-destruction-lab" hreflang="en">Creative Destruction Lab</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school-management" hreflang="en">Rotman School of Management</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The Acceleration Consortium鈥檚 second-annual Accelerate conference focused on talent development, collaboration and commercialization</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/">Acceleration Consortium (AC)</a> at the University of Toronto recently brought together more than 350 representatives from academia, industry and government from 16 countries to discuss how 鈥渟elf-driving labs鈥 are revolutionizing the speed and impact of scientific discovery.</p> <p>Held over four days in August, the consortium鈥檚 second annual <a href="https://www.accelerate23.ca/">Accelerate conference</a> focused on key themes such as talent development, collaboration and commercialization 鈥 all with an eye to finding and developing new materials and molecules that can help solve humanity鈥檚 most pressing challenges, from climate change to pandemics.</p> <p><a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/alan-aspuru-guzik"><strong>Al谩n Aspuru-Guzik</strong></a>, director of the AC and a professor in 茄子直播鈥檚 departments of chemistry and computer science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, said the conference has quickly emerged as a major draw in a field that鈥檚 rapidly gaining momentum around the world.</p> <p>鈥淭he Acceleration Consortium鈥檚 Accelerate Conference attracts the world鈥檚 leading academic and industry researchers working to accelerate scientific discovery,鈥 he said. 鈥淕iven the tremendous growth and excitement we have seen since launching the conference just one year ago, it is clear Accelerate is becoming the flagship event for accelerated discovery.鈥</p> <p>A 茄子直播 <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/existing-initiatives/">Institutional Strategic Initiative</a> that launched in 2021, the AC <a href="/news/u-t-receives-200-million-grant-support-acceleration-consortium-s-self-driving-labs-research">earlier this year received a $200-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF)</a> to help it achieve <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/vision">its bold vision of realizing the age of materials on demand</a>.</p> <p>The largest federal research grant ever awarded to a Canadian university, the CFREF grant allows the consortium to bring together researchers and industry to design, develop and implement self-driving lab technologies. These labs combine the power of artificial intelligence (AI) with robotics and advanced computing to create new materials and molecules needed for a sustainable future 鈥 at a fraction of the usual time and cost. Applications include everything from life-saving medications to biodegradable plastics.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2023-08/Accelerate-Conference-2023-5570-crop.jpg?itok=wlEJjeyH" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Al谩n Aspuru-Guzik speaks at the Accelerate Conference 2023 (photo by Worker Bee Supply&nbsp;漏 Acceleration Consortium)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/vision"><strong>Chandra Veer Singh</strong></a>, an associate professor in the department of materials science and engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, and <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/christine-allen"><strong>Christine Allen</strong></a>, a professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, noted AI will be critical to a variety of careers in the future and that continuous learning is necessary to equip workers with the knowledge and skills needed to fill these roles.</p> <p><a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/sterling-baird"><strong>Sterling Baird</strong></a>, the AC鈥檚 director of training and programs, spoke about the consortium鈥檚 upcoming digital discovery program 鈥 the first of its kind in Canada. Thanks to support from the Ontario Micro-credentials Fund, the program will train scientists looking to apply AI to materials discovery. Flora Wan, a technical education specialist with the Vector Institute, shared <a href="https://vectorinstitute.ai/programs_cat/ai-for-business/">the programs that the institute developed</a> to help professionals and businesses develop AI knowledge.</p> <p>As an emerging field, ecosystem development is also important. Anjuli Szawiola, policy analyst with Natural Resources Canada, spoke to the two networks the federal government is co-leading 鈥 <a href="http://mission-innovation.net/platform/materials-for-energy-m4e/">Materials for Energy</a> and the <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/partners/gc-mac">German-Canadian Materials Acceleration Centre</a> 鈥 to promote knowledge sharing and the adoption of advanced materials for clean energy in Canada and abroad.</p> <p>For its part, the AC has become a magnet for cross-sector collaboration as <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/partners">its partners</a> look to gain access to the wide range of expertise, research and innovation it has assembled.</p> <p>The consortium includes more than 100 academics from more than 40 research institutes and 30 private and public sector organizations. Together, they are creating a global community to tackle key challenges in the field such as data sharing and reproducibility of self-driving labs.</p> <p><a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/researcher/michelle-murphy"><strong>Michelle Murphy</strong></a>, a professor in the department of history in 茄子直播鈥檚 Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and a Canada Research Chair in Science &amp; Technology Studies and Environmental Data Justice, spoke about the importance of incorporating social scientists and Indigenous communities in the research process given the ethical implications of speeding up the pace of science.</p> <p>Murphy will examine critical issues associated with self-driving labs, including ensuring that those impacted most by the technology have a say in its development in order to prevent unintended harms, whether direct or indirect. With this in mind, equity, diversity and inclusion will continue to guide the AC鈥檚 project implementation and research design.</p> <p>On the topic of commercialization, <a href="https://creativedestructionlab.com/staff/sonia-sennik/"><strong>Sonia Sennik</strong></a>, executive director of the <a href="https://creativedestructionlab.com/">Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)</a>, shared the non-profit鈥檚 history of and philosophy towards supporting entrepreneurs.</p> <p>鈥淣ew founders have thousands of things on their to-do list. CDL believes the best judgment an early-stage entrepreneur can get is 鈥榚ntrepreneurial judgement鈥 from an experienced entrepreneur,鈥 Sennik explained. <a href="https://creativedestructionlab.com/program/">CDL鈥檚 program</a> allows select entrepreneurs to benefit from the entrepreneurial knowledge of fellows and associates who help guide CDL ventures.</p> <p>Co-founded by Aspuru-Guzik, CDL鈥檚 <a href="https://creativedestructionlab.com/streams/">Matter Stream</a> is working with the AC to help founders seeking to discover, develop or recycle materials.</p> <p>What comes next? The AC will assemble a steering committee to tackle various issues facing the sector. In addition to building six self-driving labs and a machine learning and automation lab, the consortium <a href="https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/news/were-hiring">is hiring new scientists, chemists, AI experts, roboticists and more</a>, with the goal of making the Greater Toronto Area and Canada a world leader in accelerated materials discovery.</p> <p><em>With files from Erin Warner and Tabassum Siddiqui</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 31 Aug 2023 18:44:06 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 302752 at