Civic innovation lab up for approval
Kitchener to open tech hub at Tannery building for startups in partnership with Communitech
KITCHENER — It will be a small space packed with big ideas.
If city councillors approve the plans Monday, a civic innovation lab will open later this year in the technology hub at the Tannery building in downtown Kitchener, in partnership with Communitech.
“I think this is a really unique opportuni help ty for us as a city,” Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said.
The lab marks another chapter in the evolving partnership between the city and Communitech. In 2010, the city provided a $500,000 grant to Communitech as it moved into the Tannery building and helped create the Canadian Digital Media Network.
Since then, Communitech has helped hundreds of startups, and currently is home to about 15 corporate innovation labs. The labs are where big companies, such as GM, Canon and Canadian Tire, tap the expertise of startups to find new business ways.
In the past six years about 50 startups have left the Tannery and set up in the city core, employing more than 900 people. Others moved into bigger spaces in suburban industrial parks.
“The fact that we have this whole ecosystem here that Communitech has helped create, and that we now have this opportunity to partner with them on this is, for me, very exciting,” Vrbanovic said.
Last year, the city provided $300,000 to Communitech expand its space for startups and provide space for a civic innovation lab. Last year, as well, city councillors approved $300,000 for the installation of a wireless network as LED street lights are installed, and another $300,000 for smart city initiatives that can use the new, narrow-band network when it’s ready.
The director of the civic innovation lab will oversee co-op students from the University of Waterloo and a city employee who might be seconded to a specific project, says the report prepared for city councillors.
The City of Guelph has also set up an innovation lab in association with the University of Guelph.
And the City of Toronto is establishing one with funding from Bloomberg Associates, the consulting agency established by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“I think there is going to be opportunities for us all to collaborate,” Vrbanovic said.
The local civic innovation lab will strengthen the Toronto Waterloo Region Corridor — an innovation zone that city governments and tech companies see as a northern version of Silicon Valley.
“We want to complement each other and not try to reinvent the wheel or be in competition with each other in terms of tackling this,” Vrbanovic said.
Dan Murray, the city’s director of technology innovation, said there will be no shortage of possible projects for the lab, including:
Smart meters that monitor water usage, natural gas consumption and send the information via Wi-Fi to the city’s billing department. This could help detect costly leaks, and save on meter reading.
Monitoring water mains and sewage lines to detect weak spots before they break and cause sinkholes. That way repairs can be done before roads cave in.
Tracking rainfall and the ability of sewers to handle intense downpours, and predict flooding.
Real-time monitoring of traffic conditions on busy roads, and the availability of parking spaces in the city core.
Using sensors on street lights to increase visibility as pedestrians and vehicles pass.
Putting sensors in waste containers that alert city workers when the containers are filling up.
“There is no point in working on something that is not going to be implemented,” Murray said.
“Our goal here is to find areas where we can make improvements.”
The lab will work closely with city staff to define problems, brainstorm ideas and develop pilot solutions and prototypes. Communitech will dedicate a manager to work with the lab on talent recruitment, and designing programs.
“Not a lot of other cities have such a great resource in an environment so close to them,” Murray said.
“So I think we are in a unique situation to take advantage of this.”