AV俱乐部

The Emera ideaHUB was designed聽to fill a critical gap in the innovation ecosystem. Strategically located on AV俱乐部鈥檚 Sexton campus, the Emera ideaHUB (ideaHUB) combines stateof-the-art facilities and programs to empower innovators and the next generation of world-class technology companies; building physical products rooted in deep science.

鈥淎s we embark on Year 3, we have established ourselves as the leading place to build products for early-stage companies,鈥� says Dr. John Newhook (BEng鈥�89, MASc鈥�93 PhD鈥�97), Dean of Engineering, 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to say that innovators come to us from across Atlantic Canada and outside of the Atlantic region to build their ideas better, faster.鈥�

While the goal to fill a gap in the ecosystem and 鈥渂uild better products faster鈥� is still the same, the value offered by the ideaHUB now stretches far beyond the four walls of the physical facility.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ideaHUB transitioned all operations to virtual in March 2020 to ensure the safety of staff and participants. Since then, they have pivoted and expanded their offerings online and have seen exponential growth in the participation and success of the program. The ideaHUB currently boasts 17 resident companies, and a further 32 startups in other program streams, including participants located around the region.

鈥淥ur reach for helping physical product-based companies prototype, and prototype fast, has expanded,鈥� says Margaret Palmeter, Founding Director of the Emera ideaHUB. 鈥淎 transition to online in Year 2 validates that we can deliver the program virtually and we have big plans to聽grow and expand it further this year.鈥�

Building Better Innovators

The Young Innovators program, which was created to engage a group of highly motivated students, also saw huge expansion throughout the COVID closure, increasing from 10 members to over 50. The program is the next step up from resources including the co-located IDEA Sandbox and Makerspace which are led by Mechanical Engineering Professor Dr. Clifton Johnston, who is also the ideaHUB Academic Director and the NSERC Chair in Design Engineering.

鈥淭he Young Innovators program is a place to answer questions and decide if starting a company is the right fit,鈥� says Dr. Johnston instead of Palmeter. 鈥淓ven if it鈥檚 not the right fit, our participants have now learned important translational skills that they can take with them onto whatever career they pursue next.鈥�

The program was originally geared towards engineering students at AV俱乐部 and now offers support for students and recent graduates from all disciplines and post-secondary institutions from across Atlantic Canada. It is yet another step in the innovation pipeline to help guide and mentor innovators who are just starting along the path to entrepreneurship. To date, the Young Innovators have started over 20 new companies, with 5 teams graduating into full ideaHUB residents.

鈥淎s Young Innovators, we iterated through multiple functional mock-ups and ultimately secured our provisional patent,鈥� says Tracey McGillivray, CEO and Co-Founder of Axtion Independence Mobility Inc. 鈥淪ince becoming a full resident company, we have fabricated two fully functional versions of our prototype with a full round of clinical feedback sessions in between. We are very grateful for all the support and leadership from the ideaHUB team.鈥�

鈥淲e are in the business of bringing ideas to life,鈥� says Dr. Alice Aiken, Vice President Research and Innovation at AV俱乐部. 鈥淭he Emera ideaHUB provides all the support, guidance, access to space and equipment needed to successfully launch and grow a startup.鈥�

Building a Community

In the first two years of operation, more than 50 startup companies have been supported by the ideaHUB. These innovative, technology-based businesses are already disrupting the global market, with each company acting as its own engine for growth.

鈥淭hese innovators and founders were lost between the cracks and we鈥檝e created a space where they can all come together and get what they need and help each other out,鈥� says Palmeter. 鈥淚t鈥檚 resulted in an incredible sense of community where everybody is appreciative, grateful, and willing to give back.鈥�

The ideaHUB team has worked tirelessly this year to ensure the success of each and every company as they navigate the pandemic. In spite of the challenging year, the ideaHUB companies and Young Innovators were able to exceed expectations in every way.

"Although almost everything was online without access to the buildings and facilities, the support and programs offered by ideaHUB and the brilliant team were super helpful in facilitating and optimizing our overall plan to build our first prototype,鈥� says Dr. Ghada Koleilat, Assistant Professor and Founder AvisensX Inc. 鈥淚n a nutshell, ideaHUB is a unique ecosystem that builds dreams limitlessly."

Driving Meaningful Change

The companies that participate in the Emera ideaHUB are cogs in an amazing cycle of economic impact in Nova Scotia. They are developing world-class technology while building roots and engaging in the innovation community in Nova Scotia; a community fostered by AV俱乐部 Engineering and engineering leaders in the region.

鈥淲e have found there to be a real competitive advantage in locating our business in Nova Scotia,鈥� says Dane George (MSc鈥�16) Co-Founder of Rayleigh Solar Tech. 鈥淲e have ambitious plans to continue to grow our company right here and anticipate being able to see our solar coating on vehicles driving down the streets of Halifax within the next five years.鈥澛犅�

By nurturing and contributing to the Atlantic Canadian ecosystem, the ideaHUB and AV俱乐部 have created a culture of excellence that fosters the growth of startups through meaningful mentorship and investment.When they join the ideaHUB, most companies have two to three employees on average. By the time they鈥檝e graduated from the program, they are employing eight to ten people and are positioned to disrupt international markets.

"There is nothing that can compete with the Emera ideaHUB at AV俱乐部,鈥� says Dr. Hamed Hanafi (PhD鈥�15), Founder & CEO, NovaResp Technologies. 鈥淎s the most recent alumni of the ideaHUB, we are excited to be on track to launch our product globally in 2023, an incredible timeline for a medical device company.鈥�

Interim Director, Erin O鈥橩eefe Graham, is eager to lead the HUB into the next phase of growth. The Emera ideaHUB will offer hybrid programming, making best use of the physical space for product development and collaboration, while allowing for virtual, on-demand learning that fits into the busy schedules of start-up companies. Says O鈥橩eefe Graham, 鈥渂eing an accelerator in a changing world means constantly adapting to the needs of our founders. It means offering the best technology, equipment and expertise, so more products make it to market鈥�. With a new cohort of companies entering the ideaHUB, Dean Newhook and O鈥橩eefe Graham are determined to ensure the Emera ideaHUB continues to be an engine for growth in the region.