The Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development announced funding to establish the National Invention to Innovation (i2I) Network, expanding the award-winning Invention to Innovation program founded at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in 2015.
The groundbreaking program provides innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship training for students, researchers and highly qualified personnel in STEM and healthcare fields. Based on decades of research in science-based entrepreneurship by leading academics and practitioners, i2I addresses the major challenge of bridging the gap between Canadian invention and innovation.
Since its founding, the program has expanded to research universities across Canada in partnership with Mitacs. Regional lead institutions include Queen's University, University of Waterloo, Université Laval, Polytechnique Montréal, Memorial University, Dalhousie University and the University of Alberta.
SFU and 13 leading Canadian research universities and health research institutes along with 57 partner organizations will collaborate on the National i2I Network, which was awarded close to $23 million as part of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Lab to Market grant competition.
This program helps to solve global challenges while unlocking the underutilized potential of Canada's top research talent. The National i2I Network's goal is to transform the mindset, skills and culture of Canadian STEM and healthcare researchers through tailored programs that bridge the critical gap between invention and innovation. By equipping researchers with the skills and tools they need to mobilize their discoveries they can become venture founders, translational scientists, or industry champions.
SFU is also proud to co-lead, along with the University of British Columbia, the Pacific hub of Lab2Market (L2M), a successful NSERC-funded network led by Dalhousie University. The i2I programming is designed to ladder into the L2M Validate programming for researchers following a venture or industrial pathway, further fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across the region.
With this funding, the i2I Network will offer additional opportunities such as a full-time commercialization post-doctoral program and Faculty Innovation Fellows program focusing on overcoming barriers in STEM and healthcare research commercialization.
To date, i2I has trained over 500 graduates from more than 30 universities. Program alumni are advancing Canada's innovation ecosystem as founders of their own science-based ventures, as translational scientists and mentors in research labs, as innovation champions in science-based industries and sometimes charting all these paths at once.
Members of the national leadership team along with judges, deans and scientist innovators at the October 2024 Invention to Innovation (i2I) pitch competition
I2I graduates are creating economic and social impact in the cleantech, biomedical, agritech, and emerging quantum sectors. Alumni include Benjamin Britton of Ionomr Innovations, Anat Feldman of StemCell Technologies, Sogol Borjian of ARTMS Inc., Evan McQuarrie of Photonic, Inc., Anh TranLy of CO2L Technologies, Liz Mahon from BryoSphere Biotechnologies, and Matthew Dahabieh of Catalera BioSolutions.
The i2I program has helped Canada's brightest minds mobilize research excellence, while earning recognition for SFU as the top university in Canada for innovation, and second for industrial application.
"Expanding and strengthening the National i2I Network will better mobilize Canada's world-class research into impactful innovation," says SFU associate vice-president, knowledge mobilization & innovation Elicia Maine. "We are thrilled to receive support to build a more robust Canadian science innovation ecosystem. We are grateful for our academic and industry partners as well as instructors, mentors, and alumni, who have championed i2I innovation skills training."
"This funding recognizes SFU's leadership in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Canada's research ecosystem," says SFU President, Joy Johnson. "The National i2I Network is an essential platform for empowering researchers to transform their discoveries into real-world solutions."
"As a leading Canadian research university, SFU is committed to mobilizing knowledge and innovation for the greater good of society," adds vice-president research and innovation Dugan O'Neil. "We are delighted to be able to lead the creation of the i2I Network and expand the scope of the i2I program. We greatly appreciate the support to make this happen."
Recruitment for 2025/26 i2I cohorts is expected to begin in May 2025, for innovation training starting in September 2025. These cohorts will include researchers making a part-time commitment to innovation skills training, as well as those making a full-time commitment through the highly selective commercialization postdoctoral fellows program.
Additionally, SFU will host the Faculty Innovation Fellows Program in Vancouver from May 5 to 9, 2025. The Annual General Meeting of the National i2I Network will be held at SFU during Canadian Innovation Week from October 8 to 10, 2025.
The National i2I Network will be housed within a new SFU Research and Innovation Institute, with membership from multiple faculties and partner institutions, governed by the SFU Senate.
For more information about innovation at SFU visit: sfu.ca/research/innovation-at-sfu
The NSERC Lab to Market announcement took place in Winnipeg on January 15 (l-r): John MacRitchie and Jeff Larsen (L2M); NSERC VP Manal Bahubeshi; MP Terry Duguid; SFU AVPKMI Elicia Maine; Jolen Galaucher (RRC Polytech); Ben Chow (Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship); Martin Scanlon (University of Guelph)
