Accelerant benefits of collaboration
Innovation continued to flourish in the 20th century through collaboration
As early settlers can attest, “many hands make light work”. Hewing shelter in a new land is too great a task for individuals; community barn-raisings and First Nations experience sharing were all early forms of collaboration as the Island was settled.
Innovation continued to flourish in the 20th century through collaboration, often driven in the open relations of academia and business. Silicon Valley formed from a concentration of technology innovators, and an encouraging academic environment at Stanford University where professors encouraged students to take entrepreneurial risk.
The same environment is now budding at UPEI’s School of Sustainable Design Engineering. Since inception, the schools aim was to seek relationships and partnering opportunities with private industry. A concept often foreign to the restrictive government funded halls of closed academia.
Next weekend, April 21-23, the UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering is collaborating with private industry to engage green technologies, green living and alternate energy companies through the Atlantic Green Expo being held on their campus.
Highlights of the weekend include showcasing student design projects, all of which are remarkable in their complexity and innovation. Keynote speakers are travelling from around the globe and include Peter Childs with the Dyson School of Design Engineering in the UK, as well as David MacDonald a former Islander and renowned Climate change advocate.
The partnership with the UPEI School of Sustainable Design Engineering expands further into academia to include the UPEI Climate lab, the Sierra Club and P.E.I.-based entrepreneurial energy innovator E365.
In addition to a two-day tradeshow for regional green focused companies and organizations, there will also be an innovative “ladder pitch” where entrepreneurs can pitch their new business concepts for a business initiation cash prize. This is recognized as a critical catalyst to support industry growth is funded by private industry company E365.
On an Island where resources are limited and talents untapped, more organizations must look to opportunities that can grow exponentially through collaboration.
I encourage all Islanders to attend The Atlantic Green Expo (www.atlanticgreenexpo. com), tour a crown jewel of the University in the School of Sustainable Design Engineering, witness the innovation of local companies and take in the keynotes and education sessions throughout the weekend.