Wednesday, August 11, 2021

FedDev funds new Waterloo-led health innovation partnership

By Natalie Quinlan. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

The University of Waterloo is building out a pipeline for health innovation in Southwestern Ontario thanks to a $10-million investment from FedDev Ontario. 

Of the $10 million, $6.5 million is allocated to Velocity, the University of Waterloo’s flagship entrepreneurship program. The funding will allow Velocity to continue providing critical support for early-stage startups and further the exponential growth of the region’s tech ecosystem.

Velocity companies have raised more than $2.4 billion USD in funding so far and created more than 5,000 jobs, with over 100 companies deciding to settle in Southwestern Ontario. With increased funding, Velocity expects to deepen its ability to support health-tech and deep-tech companies and double the number of companies they can support every year.

The $10-million FedDev investment will support a new partnership between Velocity, Western University, the City of Kitchener and Medical Innovation Xchange (MIX) to build a Southwestern Ontario Health Innovation network. This partnership will strengthen the Canadian tech ecosystem, specifically in the health and medtech sector by supporting innovators and entrepreneurs from start to scale, providing companies with business, clinical and regulatory expertise, in addition to access to labs, facilities and equipment. Parts of the funding will be allocated to lab equipment for Waterloo’s Innovation Arena.

“Partnerships like these are the reason we’re able to foster significant growth in the areas of health research and technology across Southwestern Ontario,” says Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor. “Together, we are bridging opportunities between startup ecosystems and large scale-up companies, with one of the global economy’s most important sectors — health.”

The investment follows the City of Kitchener’s announcement of $8.5 million and another $1.5 million from local entrepreneur, angel investor and community leader Mike Stork towards the construction of the Innovation Arena on the University’s Health Sciences Campus, arriving in 2023. The 90,000-square-foot facility, located within Downtown Kitchener’s Innovation District, will co-locate startups and early scaling companies, create connections to local small/medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and will be home to Velocity.

Through this project, the University of Waterloo and its partners expect to create 730 skilled jobs, support the development and growth of 135 businesses and commercialize 150 new health-related products, services or processes. It will also help anchor a growing number of health-tech firms in southwestern Ontario, contributing to regional growth while attracting international startups to Waterloo.

“We are honoured to be trusted by the Federal Government to amplify Velocity’s support for founders starting, landing and growing game-changing companies in Southwestern Ontario,” says Adrien Côté, executive director of Velocity.

“This additional $6.5 million investment in Velocity establishes new partnerships and resources all focused on accelerating early-stage companies and supporting those that are growing. We are excited to get started with MIX and Western University, and look to meaningfully add to Waterloo Region’s already-energetic innovation ecosystem and expand support for founders launching health tech products into the market.”

The funding marks a significant milestone for Waterloo and Velocity alumni like Armen Bakirtzian (BASc ’08), co-founder and CEO of Intellijoint Surgical Inc. and founder of MIX.

“From the beginning, one of MIX’s key messages has been to pay it forward,” says Bakirtzian. “The partnership alongside Waterloo and Western, paired with this critical investment from FedDev, will allow us to continue serving this mission by offering a thriving ecosystem to large-scale startups to develop, sustain and retain local medical technology companies, and provide a collaborative environment that establishes Waterloo Region as a leader in medical innovation.”

Upcoming Vulnerability to Viability session is going coastal

The Vulnerability to Viability (V2V) Global Partnership is hosting a session entitled "Rethinking Coastal Sustainability and Development" as part of its V2V - Chilika Virtual Field School 2021.

Dean of Environment Jean Andrey will be chairing the event that will take place on Friday, August 13 along with a panel of speakers including:

• Dr. Fikret Berkes, Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba; and
• Professor Saamdu Chetri, professor, IIT Kharagpur, India and Founding Executive Director of Gross National Happiness Centre in Bhutan.

The V2V Global Partnership aims to "identify the diverse factors and conditions contributing to the ‘vulnerability’ of small-scale fisheries (SSF), and engage collaboratively with small-scale fishing communities and other key NGOs, government and university partners to enhance SSF 'viability'." V2V is a transdisciplinary global partnership and knowledge network with 100 members from Canada, Africa, Asia and beyond.

The V2V partnership brings people and organizations together across physical, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries through a shared interest in addressing global change impacts on small-scale fisheries. The organization is conducting transdisciplinary, community-engaged research in six countries in Asia (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand) and six countries in Africa (Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania.)

Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre names interim director

St. Paul’s University College has announced that Jaydum Hunt will be the Interim Director of the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre (WISC) until April 30, 2022. Hunt is succeeding Lori Campbell, who recently moved back to Saskatchewan to become the Associate Vice-President for Indigenous Engagement at the University of Regina.

Hunt is familiar with WISC operations, having been a regular user of the centre as a student and later serving as a half-time manager there while Campbell was on secondment to UWaterloo for six months.

“We’re delighted to have Jaydum back on staff and we’re very confident in her capacity to provide sound leadership to the WISC,” says Richard Myers, principal of St. Paul’s University College.

Jaydum comes from Bay of Quinte Mohawk, and is of Six Nations and European ancestry. She is now part of the Kitchener-Waterloo urban Indigenous community. Jaydum will shortly be completing her MA in Industrial Organizational Psychology here at the University of Waterloo. 

In a related appointment, Professor Rowland Robinson will replace Campbell as the interim coordinator for the Minor in Indigenous Studies. Rowland is Menominee and Bermudian. They completed their doctorate in Sociology and Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo in 2020 and currently teach courses in Indigenous Studies, Political Science and Legal Studies.

Remembering Roger Farwell, School of Architecture alumnus

This article was originally posted on the Faculty of Engineering website.

Local architect Roger Farwell (BArch 1977), known as a philanthropist, community builder and champion of the arts, died August 4 in Wellesley Township in a single-vehicle crash.

As a senior partner with WalterFedy, he was involved in countless projects across the region, from Waterloo Regional Police headquarters and the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre to the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum, Conestoga College’s Cambridge campus and the Waterloo Region Record’s former office at Market Square.

His work earned him a place in the Grand Valley Construction Association’s Hall of Fame.

Farwell served with countless local agencies and organizations over the years including the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation, the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, the Salvation Army Advisory Board, the Waterloo Regional Police Children’s Safety Village and Junior Achievement of Waterloo Region.

In 2009, Farwell was named winner of the annual Barnraiser Award by the Waterloo Region Record in recognition of his contributions. He was nominated for the honour by Rosemary Smith, who at the time was the chief executive officer of the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation.

Farwell received numerous other awards and accolades, including the Waterloo Award, the city’s highest civic honour, the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award, and the Michael R. Follett Community Leader Award from the chamber of commerce.

Waterloo Region will miss his significant contributions and tremendous commitment to the community.