‘Forge’ to help accelerate business projects for youth
Researchers talk about hitchBOT, the hitchhiking robot developed by faculty at McMaster and Ryerson.
The launch of a new initiative to accelerate business development for young entrepreneurs highlighted this year’s McMaster Innovation Showcase.
McMaster and Innovation Factory celebrated the new campus-linked accelerator, called the Forge, designed to assist young people in the Hamilton region.
The Forge includes dedicated space and programming intended to fast-track the growth of high-potential new ventures that can contribute to the local economy.
It’s made possible by the Province of Ontario’s Campus Linked Accelerator program, and McMaster will receive more than $1 million to provide students, alumni and youth in the Hamilton area with access to entrepreneurship and business training, mentors, industry experts, service providers, as well as rapid prototyping equipment, and incubation space.
These resources will help early-stage companies develop their business models and gain early customer validation to increase their chances of success.
“Arming our youth – our future leaders – with the tools they need to engage in entrepreneurial activities, is critical in this knowledge-based society,” says Ted McMeekin, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale. “Investing in opportunities that enhance innovation is a key strategy for the government, and McMaster and Hamilton are most deserving of this investment.”
McMaster’s vice-president of research and international affairs, Mo Elbestawi, anticipates The Forge will be vital to creating a dynamic culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.
“The CLA program offers an exciting opportunity for McMaster to build on its reputation of research excellence and experiential learning opportunities by engaging more with the community in developing and supporting the next generation of business leaders.”
The annual McMaster Innovation Showcase is an opportunity for the McMaster Industry Liaison Office to demonstrate the culture of innovation, commercialization and community engagement at the heart of its mandate.
The event featured:
– A roundtable discussion on how McMaster can continue to stimulate youth entrepreneurship and encourage engagement with the local community.
– Technology presentations by McMaster researchers into such diverse subjects as heat recovery, disease and a hitchhiking robot.
– Tours and presentations by tenants of McMaster Innovation Park, including The Forge, CANMET, Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and the Sustainable Archaeology facility
– A poster competition featuring inventions and discoveries with commercial potential and social impact
– The McMaster Innovator Awards and Reception where innovators from the McMaster community will be recognized for their contributions to research and commercialization success.
Details can be found here.
