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
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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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To celebrate our 20th anniversary, Springboard has compiled this collection of our most impactful stories of research commercialization and industry collaborations over the past two decades

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Our Stories

  • Professor Moulay Akhloufi to hold Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence in Health at Université de Moncton

    Professor Moulay Akhloufi to hold Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence in Health at Université de Moncton

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    The Université de Moncton is proud to announce the appointment of Professor Moulay Akhloufi as the Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence in Health. This Chair will focus on innovative interdisciplinary topics and aims to strengthen synergies between the various players in the health sector.

  • Honouring the veterans of Springboard

    Honouring the veterans of Springboard

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    Springboard honoured some of the individuals in Nova Scotia who have contributed to our mission of growing the economy and making lives better through innovation. Over the past 20 years, these former Springboard members grew the innovation ecosystem through research commercialization and industry engagement. They have worked to bridge our 19 post-secondary institutions with industry and communities and have helped move brilliant ideas from the laboratory and into the market economy.

  • Springboard honours NS Industry Engagement Professionals

    Springboard honours NS Industry Engagement Professionals

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    Springboard Atlantic celebrated two decades of collaboration, innovation and economic impact of our Network during an a 20th Anniversary showcase at the Westin Nova Scotian in Halifax in September. Over the years, our Industry Engagement Professionals (IEPs) have worked in the hallways of our 19 Network member institutions, making relationships with students and researchers with promising ideas that can be turned into commercial collaborations, startups and spinouts.

  • NSCAD Flaxmobile hits the road to revitalize a sustainable fibre industry

    NSCAD Flaxmobile hits the road to revitalize a sustainable fibre industry

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    A professor at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) has converted a small cargo van into a “Flaxmobile” and is travelling around the province in a quest to revitalize the flax fibre industry in the province. Jennifer Green, NSCAD Associate Professor of Craft, is spending two years on the road in her Flaxmobile to show farmers how to grow flax and teach crafts people how flax can be used to make sustainable textiles.

  • 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.

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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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