Introducing the Innovation Accelerator | Class of Winter 2021
After many applications and a thorough interview process, we are excited to introduce the five companies that will form the 2021 Cohort of the Innovation Accelerator program! These companies represent an ambitious group of Alberta companies in wastewater management, building and infrastructure, event management services, the tourism industry, and more!
Khalid Abdul Razak, Managing Director of the program shared:
“As we continue to navigate the global pandemic, we’ve identified the importance for businesses to build resiliency through new and innovative approaches to succeed — whether it is new products or services, new ways in how they deliver value to their customers or a differentiated approach to operations. A key goal of our program will be to help these companies establish a repeatable and scalable approach to innovation”.
The cohort will have their first module on February 9, 2021, rapidly launching their journey to discover new value for their organizations. This virtually delivered Innovation Accelerator program will train teams on a repeatable and scalable innovation process to capture new value and revenue streams. Each company will develop and test a new product and/or service concept by the end of the program. The program is built from proven methodologies and approaches that lead to new product and/or service development and launch.
As Dr. Simon Raby, Academic Director of the program comments:
“Alberta Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are under extraordinary pressure in a difficult economy to deliver on day-to-day commitments and secure sales that will see them through the short-term. In this environment, it is difficult to pay attention to new industry developments, to challenge existing assumptions, and to reorient and reinvent business models for success for the medium to long-term”.
The Innovation Accelerator program is a pilot initiative, led by the Growth Compass at Mount Royal University’s Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with Alberta Innovates and the Alberta Innovation Network. The Innovation Accelerator is supported in part by the Western Economic Diversification as part of the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund
Meet the Winter 2021 Cohort
- Create Projects Construction Design & Build
- Integrated Sustainability Delivers water, waste, and energy infrastructure projects from concept development through to execution and operations.
- Magna Engineering Water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure planning and design
- Travel Alberta Tourism Services
- XA Security Event Management Services
Company Highlights
There are multiple ways that showcase why our current cohort members are in a great position to thrive.
- Sector: Participant companies operate in different sectors. We’ve made a concerted effort to showcase the breadth of the Alberta innovation ecosystem by selecting companies that range from aerospace to the tourism sector. Thus, creating an opportunity for feedback and ideas from a wide range of perspectives.
- Age: Innovation knows no age, our companies range from 5–20 years old!
- Change for the good: Whether they’re looking to make a positive impact for our future or completely pivoting their current business model, our cohort is made up of companies who aren’t afraid to make big waves within the province.
More Information
About the Innovation Accelerator Program
The Innovation Accelerator program will train teams on a repeatable and scalable innovation process to capture new value and revenue streams. Each company will develop and test a new product and/or service concept by the end of the program.
If you are interested in learning more about the program or want to be the first to know about upcoming events, please visit our website at https://www.growthcompass.org/innovationaccelerator.
To apply for the next Innovation Accelerator cohort, submit an application on our website.
