February 9, 2022

Dear member,

The Health Innovation Hub is all about community. How we can help each other innovate and grow. That is why, I am very excited to bring to you a new section to our biweekly digest - Meet Our Community. The purpose of this section is to engage our community members and showcase the abundance of thought leadership we have amongst our students, entrepreneurs, researchers, service providers, health leaders, officials and innovation enthusiasts in Alberta and beyond. In each digest, we will bring to you one community member and their thoughts on health innovation and how the Health Innovation Hub serves a purpose in community-building.

Our first Meet Our Community guest is Dr Lawrence Richer, Vice-Dean of Research (clinical). Lawrence describes himself as a “clinician interested in serving my academic community in support of research and innovation that will benefit Alberta, Albertans, and beyond.” Don’t forget to check out his amazing thought leadership in health innovation below.

As always, the biweekly digest is packed with News from the Hub and our community, including upcoming events, job postings, funding opportunities and more. Our next event in our monthly In-Conversation series is about free library resources available to entrepreneurs and innovators. The Health Innovation Hub, the Edmonton Public Library and the University of Alberta Library have partnered together to present a broad overview of the richness of resources available to entrepreneurs at these libraries. If you haven’t already signed up for the event, check out the registration link here. 

Your feedback is extremely valuable to us to make the digest better. Please forward the digest to your network so they can join in the conversations. Thank you for your continuous support and solidarity.

News from the Hub

Our Companies are Hiring

Meet our Community

1. What does health innovation/ innovation in health mean to you?

New discoveries, ideas, or processes can only have an impact on human health if they are implemented. Health innovations are those ideas or discoveries that have been translated 'outside the lab' and have made their way into the hands of people or used within the health system.

2. In your opinion, what is the state of the health innovation ecosystem in Alberta, Canada and globally?

Alberta (and Canada in general) has exceptionally strong post-secondary institutions and rich history of invention in the community. The feeder system is strong, but sometimes innovations get stuck in the system. We as a province could do a better job of fostering a culture and community of innovators where these ideas can grow and develop closer to home.

3. In your opinion, what is the purpose of the Health Innovation Hub?

The Health Innovation Hub is one such community and place where innovators can become part of a group of like-minded people and receive some of the early support needed to see their ideas become true innovations in health.

4. How would you describe yourself in one sentence?

I am a clinician interested in serving my academic community in support of research and innovation that will benefit Alberta, Albertans, and beyond.

5. What is the one thing that you are most excited about right now?

The opportunity to leverage ever-increasing and diverse data sources, both within the domain of the health system as well as in control of patients, using advanced methods in the data sciences gets me excited about the art of the possible in health.

Funding & Wage Subsidies

Resources & Opportunities

Community News & Events

University of Alberta + Plug and Play Virtual Innovation Event  

Monday, Feb 14 | 1:00 p.m. The University of Alberta is hosting a virtual introduction with Silicon Valley-based global accelerator Plug and Play who have just opened an Alberta office. 

Bringing Value for Entrepreneurs through Collaborations

Tuesday, Feb. 15 | 4:00 p.m. The February Rainforest Connector will feature collaborations and centres that are providing value as innovation system catalysts and growth agents for technology entrepreneurs. 

Invest in the West presented by Amplitude Ventures

Thursday, March 10 | 9:00 a.m. Invest in the West presented by Amplitude Ventures will bring together stakeholders in the healthcare innovation ecosystem across Western Canada.

Articles

The Shifting Start-Up Ecosystem: Insights on the Future of Medtech

A recent analysis finds that medtech start-ups are rapidly shifting their focus away from treatment solutions and toward disease prevention.

The Innovator’s DNA

How do I find innovative people for my organization? And how can I become more innovative myself?

The Four Cringe-Worthy Mistakes Too Many Startups Make with Data

This article provides four approaches that data teams industry-wide should watch out for and how leaders can better serve their strategic goals.

We strive for excellence in our work. If you have any feedback on how to elevate the content and the design of the newsletter, we welcome your feedback here. Thank you in advance!