November 2012

By Joe Irvine, Board Chair, ACCT Canada

Through the summer and early fall, ACCT Canada members have been busy establishing new partnerships, participating in professional development activities and collaborating with other players in the innovation eco-system to add value and promote industry engagement, innovation and technology commercialization. Since the start of the academic year there have been many opportunities for ACCT members to promote their technology portfolios and to interact with potential partners at such venues as the Licensing Executives Society Annual Meeting (held in Toronto, with significant ACCT Canada membership participation) and many market oriented events at both regional and national levels.  For example, many ACCT Canada members have been participants or hosts for events related to the Start-up Canada national tour.

ACCT Canada held our annual Innovation Leaders Forum in Toronto Oct 17 – 19 (following the LES meeting). Participants were from industry, government, universities, hospitals, community colleges and investors. The Forum theme “Changing the Dynamic – Perceptions, Realities and Solutions”,  was chaired by Dr. Brian Barber from University Health Network, included a panel on the Canadian Innovation Ecosystem; a plenary presentation of the Council of Canadian Academies new report, and panels on Open Innovation, Early Stage Investment and Re-imagining the Technology Transfer Office. The Forum generated a great deal of discussion and action items and presented new opportunities for ACCT Canada to build on our strengths and to enhance interaction with our members.