Memorial is front and centre during Innovation Week 2017, hosting a series of events, talks and a smart technology demonstration to showcase innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Innovation Week runs May 8-13, with events taking place on the St. John’s and Grenfell campuses and the Marine Institute, among other locations.
Among the kick-off events on Monday, May 8, the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) hosted its first Innovator Connector in St. John’s. The event matched clean technology research across various sectors with market opportunities and business needs.
The event was supported by Memorial, the Marine Institute and Grenfell Campus.
Researchers from units such as the faculties of Science, as well as Engineering and Applied Science presented at the event.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Social Enterprise hosted Dr. Julielynn Wong, founder, Medical Makers and 3D4MD, who spoke at an event titled Sharing the Journey: The Many Faces of Social Innovation and Success. It took place in the University Centre on the St. John’s campus.
Tuesday, May 9 events
The Genesis Centre, Memorial’s award-winning business incubator, is hosting an Invest Atlantic Kickoff event from 4-7 p.m. at the Bier Markt in St. John’s.
Michelle Simms, the centre’s president and CEO, is taking part in the event, along with a number of other business leaders. More information about the free event is online.
The Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship is hosting a workshop for students on Tuesday, May 9, from 5-8 p.m. on the theme: Do You Want to Help Create a Stronger Entrepreneurial Community at Memorial?
The session will be facilitated by Richard Spence and Renee Tavares of Startup Canada, a grassroots network of entrepreneurs that has mentored more than 20,000 Canadians.
Grenfell events on Wednesday
Grenfell Campus is hosting an event titled the Additive Impact: How 3D Printing is Shaping the Future of Advanced Manufacturing from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in room AS-2016.
The event is facilitated by Reuben Menezes from Proto3000.
Also on Wednesday, there’ll be tours of the Grenfell Campus Observatory from 2-9 p.m., for guests 16 years of age and older. Participation is free but registration is required. Register for a tour by calling 709-637-6208.
Summit Wednesday
Meanwhile, the 2017 NATI Knowledge Summit takes placed on Wednesday, May 10, delivering insightful talks and an opportunity for key players in the technology community to learn from experts and share ideas.
This year’s lineup of speakers includes digital marketing expert Lyle Wetsch, associate professor and Chair, Teaching and Learning, in the Faculty of Business Administration; Newfoundlander Catherine Courage, vice-president, product design and experience for Google ads and commerce; and Ken Singer, managing director, Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at UC Berkeley.
U.K. experience
Also on Wednesday, May 10, the Centre for Social Enterprise is hosting an interactive presentation titled Social Ventures: Learning from the U.K. Experience, which takes place at 7 p.m. in the Suncor Energy Hall, School of Music, with guests Dr. Neil Stott and Prof. Paul Tracey from Cambridge University. They’ll describe the ecosystem necessary to support social enterprise development, giving illustrations from rural areas in the U.K.
‘Smart’ Thursday
Grenfell Campus is hosting a social media seminar from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., on Thursday, May 11, in the computer lab in room LC202, where participants will have an opportunity to receive one-on-one instruction on how to create social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Participation is free. Confirm your seat by emailing the organizers.
Also on Thursday, May 11, there’s a demonstration of world-leading “smart” technology that was developed collaboratively by the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation, the Marine Institute, College of the North Atlantic and Ocean Choice International.
It’s the first use of robotics for processing crab. Demonstrations are scheduled to take place from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Marine Institute’s Pilot Plant, room W-1039.
The Genesis Centre and OceansAdvance are hosting an entrepreneurial Yarns & Networking session from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, with Brendan Paddick, chair, Nalcor Energy, and John Risley, president and CEO, Clearwater Seafood.
Discover how these two prominent businessmen teamed up to build a Caribbean telecommunications company, which later sold for $1.85 billion (USD). The session takes place in Innovation Hall, IIC-2001, at the Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation.
Full events on Friday
Among the events on Friday, May 12, the Centre for Social Enterprise is hosting the Social Innovation Challenge from 5-10 p.m., at the Johnson GeoCentre, where participants will get a chance to pitch a concept, discover new partners and compete for a chance to win cash prizes. Learn more online.
Family-fun events
On Saturday, May 13, the St. John’s campus hosts Science Rendezvous, a free, family-fun event open to all ages, running from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., in the Science, Chemistry-Physics and Engineering buildings.
Visitors will get to watch a chemistry magic show, explore a travelling touch tank, discover glow-in-the-dark crystals, take part in interactive physics demos, and much more.
Meantime, TEDxYouth takes place on Saturday, May 13, from 6-8:30 p.m., in the School of Music’s D.F. Cook Recital Hall. Designed for youth aged 12-25, the event is poised to inspire curiosity, ignite new ideas and empower young leaders through the mission of the popular TEDx talks.
Those interested in attending Innovation Week events should register online.
