Guelph ON, 1 November 2023 – Early-stage Ontario agri-innovation start-ups are encouraged to participate in the second annual Ontario Agri-Tech Pitch Competition run by the University of Guelph’s Research Innovation Office (RIO) in collaboration with the Government of Ontario.
In September’s article, we delved into the urgency of addressing soil health challenges and the collaborative strides taken by the Research Innovation Office in collaboration with Innovation North. Our commitment to a flourishing future fueled our efforts, culminating in a transformative April event to serve as a crucible for innovative solutions to improve soil health.
With a focus on sustainability in agriculture, the University of Guelph’s Research Innovation Office and Western University’s Innovation North worked together to identify the key problems blocking the path to more sustainable agri-food futures. To broaden our understanding, we identified and interviewed key participants across the industry including farmers, entrepreneurs, and industry experts to better conceptualize the issues they face that impact sustainability planning.
The New Venture Creation team at the Research Innovation Office aims to help researchers explore the entrepreneurial potential of their ideas and foster an entrepreneurial culture at the University of Guelph. The Ask Us Anything series brings together entrepreneurial-minded researchers, be they just getting started on their entrepreneurial journey or experienced mentors, to support one another and share ideas in a community environment.
David Hobson lives at the intersection of technology transfer and entrepreneurship. He describes himself as a concierge that connects researchers with the resources they need for their research to make an impact in the real world. In December, David joined the Ask Us Anything session to share what entrepreneurs need to know about Intellectual Property (IP).
Three-time NSERC Alliance awardee Dr. Lee-Anne Huber reflected on her experience and continued success with the program. She emphasized the unique opportunity to stretch your research dollars and in turn gain the skills and expertise for future applications. Beyond leveraging partner funds, Dr. Huber highlighted the value of working with a diversity of partners, “it opens up a whole network of expertise that my students and I can access, which you can’t really put a dollar value on.”
Whether you are established in your career or looking to get started, LinkedIn is a powerful networking and information sharing tool. Entrepreneurs can use LinkedIn to connect with their existing network and strategically grow their network and generate leads. Shannon Clement, Founder & Director of Content Marketing at Engagement Marketing, joined this session to provide digital marketing and content expertise.
Lots of people have entrepreneurial dreams, but few turn them into reality. So, what do the startup success stories have in common? This was the focus of the first Ask Us Anything session hosted by the Research Innovation Office, a new biweekly session that brings together entrepreneurial-minded people in academia and industry for open conversations about successes, challenges, and best practices when launching a startup company.
From growing interest in adding more moderation to drinking habits to exploring tasty alternatives to alcohol, there are a lot of reasons to explain the recent $2 billion boom in the non-alcoholic beverage industry. But few products on the market exist in the overlap between non-alcoholic beverages and functional foods (i.e. foods with additional health benefits).
Working closely with the Technology Transfer Manager, Germplasm, the incumbent will conduct an industry overview (farm to fork value chain analysis focused on the industry within Ontario) for up to three agricultural crops within Ontario. The analysis will include both primary and secondary market research and the information will be used to inform future intellectual property and marketing strategy within the germplasm portfolio of the Research Innovation Office.