The Short Report - April 3, 2019: Future skills, Lightspeed POS, cannabis research

Concordia University has launched the Future Skill Innovation Network, or FUSION, linking five other universities — Simon Fraser, Calgary, Saskatchewan, Carleton and Memorial — to promote student skills development for the globalized economy. The project is funded with a $2.5-million investment from the Government of Canada's Future Skills Centre, which also announced five other pilot projects to test solutions to skills development challenges. - Concordia

CIBC Innovation Banking announced the closing of US$55-million debt facility with Lightspeed POS Inc, the Montreal point-of-sale software company that grossed CAN$276 million and achieved a unicorn-level, $1.4-billion valuation when shares surged after its IPO on March 8. - Cision

Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) named John Brogly its acting chief executive, following the departure of founding chief executive Dan Wicklum in February. Brogly has worked in leadership at COSIA since the organization launched in 2012. - JWN

The University of Alberta received a $1-million grant for Alzheimer's research from the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories and the University Hospital Foundation. - CBC

The University of Toronto and its affiliated hospitals will launch the Toronto Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Consortium (TC3), a partnership focused on the health effects of cannabis, at the Cannabis Innovation Summit on April 4. - U of T

McGill University will replace its Centre for Medical Education with the new Institute of Health Sciences Education, which will provide graduate programs in health sciences education. - McGill

Agorize, an international platform for hackathons and open innovation challenges, raised $20 million in series B funding to accelerate its development in Canada. - Cision