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Introducing TRIUMF Innovations

06 April 2017

Innovations emerging from the physical sciences have transformed our modern world. TRIUMF – Canada’s national particle accelerator laboratory – today announces the formation of TRIUMF Innovations, the laboratory’s new commercialization arm.

TRIUMF Innovations will connect science with society, translating Canada’s world-leading capabilities in the physical sciences into commercialized innovations for the benefit of all Canadians.

TRIUMF Innovations will serve as a national commercialization engine/accelerator focused on applied physical sciences. It will actively connect academic researchers, industry partners, government stakeholders, and trainees, accelerating the commercialization of innovative physical sciences technologies from TRIUMF and partner institutions.

“Successful commercialization links science with real, measurable improvements in the lives of Canadians,” says TRIUMF Director Dr. Jonathan Bagger, “and TRIUMF Innovations is key to unleashing the commercialization potential of a sector where Canada has long been a world leader in research.”

TRIUMF Innovations will be TRIUMF’s primary business interface, responsible for all of the laboratory’s commercialization activities. It will leverage the talent, experience, and capacity of TRIUMF – as well as its national network of 19 member universities – to unleash the untapped potential of Canada’s physical sciences community.

TRIUMF Innovations has successfully recruited a new CEO, Ms. Kathryn Hayashi, who has extensive experience in commercialization and operation of incubator/accelerator operations. 

“Until now, the advanced physical sciences has remained underdeveloped from a business perspective. TRIUMF Innovations has an important role to play in offering this business capability to its national cluster of members and collaborators,” says Hayashi. “With the infrastructure, expertise, and network we have aligned, TRIUMF Innovations is positioned to be the go-to place to explore business opportunities related to the physical sciences and translate ideas into impactful innovations.”

A new Board of Directors has been assembled that includes highly experienced members from accelerators, industry, and the investment community: TRIUMF Innovations Board Chair Ms. Karimah Es Sabar (CEO of Quark Venture, and Former CEO of CDRD), Dr. Mike Abrams (Former Executive VP and Managing Director Arbutus Biopharma, Former CEO of AnorMed), Dr. Jonathan Bagger (Director, TRIUMF), Dr. Don Brooks, (Former AVP, Research & International, University of British Columbia), Dr. Pierre Coulombe (Former President, NRC), Mr. Haig Farris (President, Fractal Capital and Founder, D-Wave), Dr. Colin Jones (Former AVP, Research, Simon Fraser University), Mr. Sylvain Lévesque (VP Corporate Strategy, Bombardier), and Mr. Parimal Nathwani (VP Commercialization, MaRS Innovation).  

Full bios can be found at https://www.triumfinnovations.ca/team/

"The collective expertise of the Management and Board of TRIUMF Innovations in translating and commercializing early stage technologies, combined with the world leading scientific team at TRIUMF establishes a powerful innovation engine in this sector" says Es Sabar, TRIUMF Innovations Board Chair and CEO of Quark Venture.  "This could significantly improve the impact of the physical sciences sector on economic development in Canada; an area in which Canada is already a world leader."

As a national endeavor, TRIUMF Innovations’ commercialization capabilities will be focused on:

  • Assessing, triaging and validating technologies suitable for commercialization
  • Preparing business cases and assembling investor-ready presentations and diligence packages
  • Creating companies and enabling investment
  • Engaging and developing entrepreneurs
  • Establishing, developing and maintaining successful industry partnerships with SMEs and MNEs
  • Out-licensing TRIUMF technologies and providing a business interface for TRIUMF sales and services to private sector companies and investors.