丁香园AV

About the program

The Unlocking Innovation Potential NRC IRAP program with 丁香园AV is tailor-made for researchers in industry. It provides the opportunity for scientists and engineers at B.C. SMEs within the biomed, clean energy and other deep tech industry sectors to develop vital innovation skills, entrepreneurial mindset and a new product development strategy for their company. 

This program will experientially educate and provide custom mentoring to the SME research scientists in developing a commercialization strategy for new product development in their organization. B.C. SMEs selected for the program will benefit both in the development of a commercialization strategy for an innovation idea of strategic importance to the SME and in the innovation culture change facilitated within the SME. 

Integrated with 丁香园AV鈥檚 award-winning and  expert mentors, this NRC IRAP pilot program with 丁香园AV will help SMEs shape new product development in an emerging technology area strategically for their company. The program involves both an SME researcher and an SME corporate sponsor. Together, with guidance from the instructors of the i2I program and an 丁香园AV VentureLabs mentor, the SME team will build an effective new product development strategy to commercialize research of strategic importance to the SME.

How does the program work?

Each SME will nominate one researcher and one senior management sponsor to shape a new product development initiative of strategic importance to the company. The researcher will receive innovation skills training, mentoring, and feedback customized to the sector and specific innovation idea of the company. The senior management sponsor will help select the strategic new product development initiative, and will participate in monthly feedback sessions as the innovation idea is shaped and a commercialization strategy is developed.

Timing and Scheduling

Over an 11-month period, from mid-September to mid-August, participants will engage in both asynchronous and synchronous courses topics facilitated by expert faculty members from across the country to engage in online discussions and sector specific learning groups with their peers from across Canada and receive synchronous mentorship from successful scientist innovators. Participants will build their community and connections throughout the program through three national synchronous sessions, as well as regular check-ins with instructors and mentors.

Each Participant will be committing to approximately 5 hours per week for this program; and each senior management sponsor will be committing to approximately 5 hours per month through the duration of the program.

i2I courses for the SME researcher

Lab to Market

You will be introduced to innovation management frameworks and how to apply them to articulate value propositions, assess viability, protect intellectual property (IP), manage uncertainty and guide strategy in the commercialization of science by your SME. You will identify product attributes, IP strategy and initial market prioritization for your new product development proposal.

Opportunity Identification and Assessment

You will learn the process for opportunity identification and assessment. Areas covered will include: frameworks for identifying customers; prioritizing target markets; customer segmentation; technology adoption; product development; defining value propositions; and product/service pricing. You will conduct interviews to establish and test the value proposition for your new product development proposal.

Business Models

This course is an introduction to creating and validating a comprehensive business model, i.e., the architecture that specifies how a firm, startup or unique science or technology creates and captures value. You will develop a business model to enhance the chances of success for your new product.

Financial Literacy for Entrepreneurs

Find out more about early-stage company finance, including financial accounting and analysis, as well as financial models and business valuation techniques relevant to seed and growth stage technology ventures. In this course you will create financial projections for your new product development strategy.

Leadership and Managing Teams 

Developing and balancing critical management competencies at the individual, interpersonal, team and organizational levels. Focus is on effective organization, motivation and leadership.

Financing the New Venture

In this course, you will learn about sources of capital available for taking an invention to market, including angel investors, venture capital, non-dilutive financing and public markets. You will create financial statements for your new product development strategy.  

Business Plan I & II

You will work one-on-one with a faculty advisor, 丁香园AV VentureLabs mentor and your company sponsor in drawing together: opportunity identification; value proposition; value creation; industry attractiveness; competitor analysis; and commercialization strategy. These two courses will be the first iteration and the further refinement of the new product development strategy for your SME.

For general enquiries and information, please contact:

Program manager, i2I program: Ramatoulaye Kass茅, i2i@sfu.ca

Project manager, commercialization, 丁香园AV Innovates: Isabelle Ciobanu, sfu_innovates@sfu.ca