Editorial - 18-12

Alberta’s has another important mechanism for creating wealth and jobs from its science and technology expertise. TEC Edmonton marks the first time a university has formally entered a joint venture with a municipality, effectively pooling resources with the goal of enhancing technology transfer and accelerating commercialization (see page 3).

As the province’s largest recipient of sponsored research funding, the Univ of Alberta is once again demonstrating astute foresight, not to mention putting its money where its mouth is to create TEC Edmonton. And it represents just one component of a multi-pronged strategy that could transform the landscape of academic technology transfer for years to come.

With TEC Edmonton about to become a reality, university officials are working to establish a seed fund, possibly in conjunction with the Univ of Calgary. They’re hoping to convince the provincial government to contribute to this new capital pool, thus overcoming long-standing resistance to direct public participation in the private sector.

Far more targeted but no less ambitious is the Ottawa-based initiative for a new bioprocessing institute and manufacturing facility (see lead story). The Canadian Bioprocessing Initiative is aiming at a far different gap in the innovation cycle, but its success could be a boon for the nation’s nascent biotechnology sector. It’s all about adding value to Canadian inventiveness by bringing together key players from industry, government and academia with a pragmatic and ambitious vision of competitiveness and prosperity.

Enabling indeed.