Oct. 19, 2021
UĢý is top startup creator amongst research institutions in Canada
The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) recently released the results of its 2020 Canadian Licensing Activity Survey, placing the University of Ģý as the top startup creation institution, a key metric in the research and innovation ecosystem. The annual survey provides an in-depth review of technology licensing and related activity for Canadian academic and non-profit research institutions.
marks the first year that UĢý has ranked number one amongst research institutions in Canada for startups, surpassing previous leaders, the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo. This most recent survey shows that UĢý is responsible for 21 of 104 startups across all Canadian research institutions. Those 21 startups are ahead of Toronto’s 17, Waterloo’s 11, McGill’s 10, and UBC’s 8.
Within the survey, AUTM Chair Olivia Novac highlights that universities drive the innovation economy through small, entrepreneurial businesses. Novac notes these startups directly impact local economies, with more than 86 per cent of new businesses remaining in their institution’s home province.
Innovate Ģý directly assisted the UĢý startups listed in AUTM’s 2020 survey as the central incubator for innovation transfer on campus. Founded in 1989, Innovate Ģý serves as the tech commercialization office at the University of Ģý and is the lead group named in AUTM’s Canadian Licensing Survey. Innovate Ģý works closely with researchers, faculty, and students at UĢý to help bridge the gap between discovery and creating economic and societal impact.
John Wilson, president and CEO, Innovate Ģý
“This survey underscores the leadership being shown here at the University of Ģý through Innovate Ģý,” says John Wilson, president and CEO, Innovate Ģý. “My hope is that we can build on those 21 startups and produce more this year and next. It’s reasonable to expect that Innovate Ģý will support more than 100 startups within the next five years.”
is one of those startups counted in AUTM’s 2020 survey. Their commercialization process includes a focus on early-stage solutions for the transitioning oil industry. As a spinoff company from the Department of Geosciences at UĢý, LysisLogic plays a part in the landscape beyond oil combustion by developing large-scale carbon management applications.