Along with breezy summer days, August brought a gust of progress to Waterloo’s innovation ecosystem.
A local expert was tapped to join Canada’s Quantum Advisory Council, Conestoga College joined forces with Mawashi, OTTO Motors continued its winning streak and Velocity unveiled its newest program designed to foster innovation.
The summer season might be slipping away, but Waterloo is sailing into autumn with poise, confidence and a number of new achievements to its name.
Here are the top stories from August 2023:
OTTO Motors wins Gold Stevie award
OTTO Motors continues its winning streak by picking up another award. The local robotics and automation company announced that its autonomous forklift, OTTO Lifter, scored the Gold Stevie Award at the 20th Annual International Business Awards, the world’s premier business awards program.
OTTO Lifter, the world’s smartest autonomous forklift, was awarded for its advancement in autonomous material handling solutions, addressing the challenges of labour shortages, safety and productivity in manufacturing and warehouse facilities worldwide. It was recognized by the judges for its “remarkable innovation, safety and market performance.”
Laurier physicist selected to help shape Canada’s quantum strategy
Shohini Ghose, a professor of Physics and Computer Science at Wilfrid Laurier University, has been appointed to the Government of Canada’s Quantum Advisory Council, an incredible honour and achievement for a leader in our community.
As a member of the Quantum Advisory Council, Ghose will help monitor and shape the progress of our National Quantum Strategy. “The [strategy],” Ghose said, “will enable Canada to remain a leader in the field and set an example for the world of supporting research, education and innovation in a way that will benefit all of society.”
Conestoga College partners up with Mawashi Science & Technology
The Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness & Performance (CISWP) at Conestoga College has teamed up with Mawashi Science & Technology, a Canadian innovation company developing physical assistive devices.
The two companies are partnering up to engage in meaningful applied research initiatives that will support the safety and productivity of the skilled trades workforce, all through leading-edge assistive technologies.
“Through our partnership with Mawashi, [CIWSP] can continue to grow its applied research programs related to skilled trades and diversity and inclusion in the workforce,” said Dr. Amin Yazdani, CIWSP executive director.
Communitech taps 10 startups to pitch healthcare solutions
This month, Communitech’s Fast Track Health identified 10 Canadian tech firms with scalable innovations to help overcome the challenges facing today’s healthcare systems.
These 10 companies have the potential to pilot and partner with healthcare groups across our region, province and country to develop digital solutions for early diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions, integrated health data systems, condition management and more.
“It’s been deeply inspiring to work alongside our partners and identify world-class, made-in-Canada solutions that have the potential to solve the biggest challenges facing health-care systems in Canada and beyond,” said Joel Semeniuk, Chief Strategy Officer at Communitech. “The potential impact of this collaborative work is a true testament to the power of Canada’s innovation community.”
New Velocity program helps students tackle today’s challenges
Velocity, the University of Waterloo’s startup incubator, launched a new program called Foundations to help students develop innovative mindsets when it comes to growing ideas and founding companies.
Through weekly group sessions about research, problem-solving and skill-building with guest speakers, and Velocity coaching from an expert in problem analysis, the eight-week program will ensure local students have the skills they need to tackle today’s societal challenges such as loneliness and mental health.
Local startup unveils new diagnostic device
Vital Bio, a company founded at Velocity, recently unveiled its new diagnostic device – which provides 20-minute blood test results – to the public and scientific community.
The solution is part of the company’s broader vision to make “diagnostics ubiquitous and enable new forms of care delivery for everyone from patients managing complex, chronic diseases to people pursuing wellness,” according to co-founder and CEO Vasu Nadella.
Register for the Sustainable Aeronautics Summit
Interested in the research and innovations driving sustainability in aeronautics? Register for the Sustainable Aeronautics Summit on October 25, 2023, to hear experts in academia, government and industry talk about the latest insights into environmental innovation, ESG reporting, workforce sustainability, emerging technologies and more.
As we fall into the month of September, Waterloo is perfectly poised to build on its summer of success. To find out how you can join our ecosystem next season, contact our team today.