Growing innovation in Atlantic Canada

The Springboard Network moves knowledge and technologies from universities and colleges to the economy. We connect industry with researchers to solve real-world problems and help entrepreneurs protect their IP.

Our Network
360 series
IP Advantage
IP Assist

Springboard by the numbers

957

Startups spun out of institutions

5925

Technology & knowledge transfers

$6.8B

Research generated

19

Universities & Colleges

40+

Industry engagement professionals

10,000+

Researchers

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Who are we?

Springboard Network

Industry Engagement Professionals from 14 universities and 5 colleges in Atlantic Canada

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IP Advantage

Providing support and information on protecting your start-up or SME with intellectual property

IP proGRAMS

Central Office

Meet our logistics and programming team in Springboard’s headquarters

Springboard team

Celebrating 20 years of research commercialization and industry engagement in Atlantic Canada

Our Stories

  • How Adaptiiv became a global MedTech company

    How Adaptiiv became a global MedTech company

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    Adaptiiv Medical Technologies was founded in Halifax in 2016 to make radiation treatment more accurate and humane for patients.  Dr. James Robar, a Chief of Medical Physics at Dalhousie University, invented software that improves the patient’s experience during radiation treatment.  The technology uses 3D imaging and 3D printing to produce devices that fit the patient’s body surface or within the anatomy of patients during radiation therapy for cancer treatment.

  • The St.FX FluxLab: taking research to the front lines of climate change

    The St.FX FluxLab: taking research to the front lines of climate change

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    To know a problem, you must measure it. And if that problem is as critical as climate change, it better be measured accurately.  St. F.X. researcher Dr. David Risk is on the frontlines of greenhouse gases with the work emerging from his FluxLab and companies that have spun out from research in the Antigonish lab.

  • Kognitiv Spark to boost business innovation with mixed reality technology

    Kognitiv Spark to boost business innovation with mixed reality technology

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    Imagine a technician in a remote location who needs to perform a complex task or repair specialized machinery.  In the past, this would require sending a qualified trainer into the field to provide support.  The Fredericton-based company Kognitiv Spark is solving this problem by collapsing time and distance with a virtual reality platform called RemoteSpark.

  • Lobster Quality Centre: Protecting Nova Scotia’s Lobster Industry Through Climate Challenge

    Lobster Quality Centre: Protecting Nova Scotia’s Lobster Industry Through Climate Challenge

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    Lobster is more than just a local delicacy in Nova Scotia. It is an economic juggernaut  Canadian lobster exports are worth billions with exports going to to 80 countries.  Lobster fishing sustains the livelihoods for thousands of Atlantic Canadian with many jobs directly related to the industry.  Protecting the quality of this valuable resource is critical to maintaining a sustainable lobster industry. However, studies have shown a decline in the quality of lobster harvested, stored and shipped to customers worldwide.

  • Parking doesn’t have to be painful: NBCC and HotSpot startup collaborate on a digital parking app

    Parking doesn’t have to be painful: NBCC and HotSpot startup collaborate on a digital parking app

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    How many times have you found a place to park and then realized you had no change for the parking meter?   An app developed in collaboration with New Brunswick Community College solves this problem by allowing drivers to park coin-free in towns and cities across Canada.  Fredericton-based Hotspot Parking is a user friendly, digital technology that allows motorist to pay for on-street parking using credit cards. They can also use the app to plan trips with an interactive map that shows available parking locations in real time.

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Testimonials

  • Springboard is “backbone” of Atlantic Canada tech ecosystem. Springboard is a trusted source of expertise and support in region. 

    Jeff LarsenAssistant Vice-President, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dalhousie University

  • Springboard was the only organization that combined proof of concept funding with patent and legal. That is what we needed at that time: Industry engagement funding to license the tech. It’s like they considered the whole lifecycle from ideation to commercialization. They don’t just provide funding, they guide the research through the whole process.   

    Dr. James RobarCo-founder Adaptiiv

  • The term “unique” is tossed around too frequently but I believe it applies to Springboard Atlantic. I know of no comparable organization anywhere that achieves such harmonious collaboration among so many academic institutions. It provides a single point of contact for industry to tap the research capabilities of an entire region, and amplifies the R&D capacity of Atlantic Canada. At a time when Canadian business needs to improve productivity, Springboard is a working model that should be replicated in many other markets. 

    Peter MorieraFounder, Entrevestor

  • The world-class research taking place at Atlantic Canada’s post-secondary institutions is fueling innovation in every sector of the economy and giving our businesses a real leg up against the competition. And Springboard is right at the heart of it – bringing together the right partners to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing industry today and helping lay the groundwork for the success stories of tomorrow.

    The Honourable Gudie HutchingsMinister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA

  • Having the support of a Springboard ILO at Holland College was key to helping us to navigate the many different funding channels and to identify the correct path forward to support a collaborative R&D project.

    Chef Allan WilliamsCanada’s Smartest Kitchen

  • I tell people that we may have 75 people on staff, but we have relationships with the College of the North Atlantic and Memorial University that gives us access to 27,000 people, including students, faculty and staff.

    Allan CrammAnaconda Mining

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