Tag Archives: I-Nano

NanoQuébec and iNano get to the chapel while Canada Economic Development presides

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ETA May 14, 2013: I changed a word the title to correct a typo: ‘wirh’ to while.

I described NanoQuébec’s iNano, an open web innovation platform,  as an industrial dating service in my Sept. 19, 2012 posting. so I thought I’d extend the metaphor by sending it to the chapel for the latest news about the project.

iNano, designed to match up the research community with industry-based nanotechnology challenges, and Canada Economic Development have now announced new funding for the platform, from the May 13, 2013 news item on Azonano,

The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, today announced that the organization NanoQuébec has been granted financial assistance for a project to translate knowledge into commercial applications, while improving the innovation capability and competitiveness of Quebec’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“Our Government is today giving a real boost to innovation, and thereby economic growth, by lending its support to NanoQuébec,” said Minister Lebel.

NanoQuébec is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to support nanotechnology innovation with a view to contributing to sustainable economic growth in Quebec.

Specifically, these funds will enable NanoQuébec to implement an open innovation pilot project aimed at generating technology transfers and strengthening ties between business and the research community. The project, which will last approximately 18 months, will also allow for a second testing of the iNANO open innovation web platform.

If I understand this properly, the iNANO project has been successful with helping various companies solve their problems/challenges and now the Government of Canada is granting NanoQuébec additional monies to create a new project which is focused on commercializing the solutions (?), as well as, allowing NanoQuébec to run the original iNANO challenge project a second time.

The May 7, 2013 (?) Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions news release, which originated the news item, provides a few more details about iNano and about the funding,

 ““Since the opening of the iNANO platform, we have already posed more than 120 industrial challenges to the research community. The collaborative projects set up through the platform will foster the development of innovations that will be a major competitive advantage for our businesses,”” noted Benoit Balmana, President and CEO of NanoQuébec.

The funding from the Government of Canada will contribute toward the hiring of a staff person to ensure the platform’s management and leadership, technology development, production of promotional tools and business prospecting.

““Our Government remains focused on four priorities, as outlined by the Prime Minister, that Canadians care most about: their families, the safety of our streets and communities, their pride in being a citizen of this country, and of course, their personal financial security,”” concluded Minister Lebel.

…

This assistance, granted in the form of a $171,000 non-repayable contribution, has been awarded through Canada Economic Development’s Quebec Economic Development Program.

I wish them  the best of luck with the challenges and the commercialization.

Note: There appears to have been a change of spelling from I-Nano to iNANO.

NanoQuébec sets up I-Nano, their version of an industrial dating service

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I-Nano is an open web innovation platform but I like to think of it as an industrial dating service being operated by NanoQuébec (Canada). In any event, the project was announced May 2012 and has been successful according to the Sept. 19, 2012 news item on Azonano,

I-Nano was created to allow industrialists to submit technological challenges to the research community, find partners, discover avenues for solution, and be steered to the most suitable sources of financing. Phase 1 of this project dear to NanoQuébec generated considerable interest. In fact, over a period of 21 days, 58 industrial challenges were submitted to Quebec’s research community by 38 companies (including five from outside Quebec), 80% of which were SMEs.

Among the challenges presented by industrialists, we note the development of coverings limiting ice formation, anti-graffiti coverings, smart wear, filters for the purification of industrial liquids, and solutions designed to enhance the performance of solar sensors. The challenges published were viewed more than 4,500 times on the web platform. Overall, 80 researchers representing 27 teaching establishments and research centres proposed 130 solutions! Today, 27 projects with a total potential value of $8M are being carried out. Impressive results, particularly for a pilot phase!

The NanoQuébec Sept. 17, 2012 news release, which originated the news item, notes plans for the future,

Buoyed by this noteworthy success, NanoQuébec is now working on the implementation of I-Nano’s phase 2. The organization has concluded agreements with prestigious partners who will help make I-Nano the open innovation platform of choice across the country. In fact, it will be announcing the launch of this second phase within the coming weeks.

I was hoping for more details about this second phase but it’s good to know there’ll be more information about it soon. In the meantime, here’s the I-Nano webpage on the NanoQuébec website (English language version, you can switch to the French language version by clicking on Fr in upper right hand corner of the screen.