What's New

U of S Team Wins Award of Innovation for iUsask Mobile App (May 18, 2012)

A team of University of Saskatchewan computer scientists has been awarded the 2012 Award of Innovation for creating an iPhone application (app) – the first in Canada to offer university students broader, exceptionally secure access to confidential information such as grades. To see press release click here.

10 finalists chosen in U of S Tech Venture Challenge ( May 14, 2012)

Ten entrepreneurs with ideas ranging from e-publishing, e-health, biofuels, mechanical engineering, and audio special effects will begin working on turning their ideas into businesses as finalists in the Tech Venture Challenge. To see press release click here.

2012 Canadian Innovation Challenge Award (closing date: April 24, 2012)

If you’ve conducted research in the natural sciences or engineering at the Master’s or PhD level, and you have some ideas about how to transform that research into a commercial product or service, you may be in line to win one of the Innovation Challenge Awards.

Please find more information from this link.

U of S Team Wins Award of Innovation for iUsask Mobile App (May 18, 2012)

A team of University of Saskatchewan computer scientists has been awarded the 2012 Award of Innovation for creating an iPhone application (app) – the first in Canada to offer university students broader, exceptionally secure access to confidential information such as grades.

Please read the New Release for detailed information.

10 finalists chosen in U of S Tech Venture Challenge (May 14, 2012)

Ten entrepreneurs with ideas ranging from e-publishing, e-health, biofuels, mechanical engineering, and audio special effects will begin working on turning their ideas into businesses as finalists in the Tech Venture Challenge.

Please read the New Release for detailed information.

The team finalists at our Business Planning workshop on Friday May 11, 2012. They will continue to be mentored and guided through the various stages of business creation as they develop their business plan for submission by September 30^th deadline.

U of S scientists honoured as finalists for 2012 Award of Innovation (April 18, 2012)

University of Saskatchewan researchers who developed smartphone applications, a commercial line of tomato plants, and a method for early detection of colorectal cancer were announced as finalists for the Award of Innovation at the SABEX "Celebrate Success!" reception yesterday evening.

Co-sponsored by Innovation Place and the U of S Industry Liaison Office (ILO) , the award honours U of S researchers who have brought new and commercially viable technology to the ILO for development into marketable products.

"Commercialization of the innovative smartphone applications, the first viable, male-sterile line of tomatoes and the marker to identify colorectal cancer are outstanding examples of the benefits the investment in research brings." said Glen Schuler, ILO managing director. "Moreover, the commercialization of these technologies will benefit our city, our province, Canada and the rest of the world through better medical diagnostics, cheaper food and better communications."

Please read the New Release for detailed information.

2012 Business Plan Competition - Tech Venture Challenge (closing date: April 27, 2012 )

The Industry Liaison Office at the University of Saskatchewan is pleased to announce a new business plan competition for entrepreneurs with a technology-based business idea.

The Tech Venture Challenge gives University of Saskatchewan employees, researchers, students and alumni an opportunity to pursue their dream of creating their own company.

• Finalists receive ongoing mentorship, guidance, and training.
• The Winner receives $50,000 to go towards the development of the business.

U of S Industry Liaison Office: Research Should Benefit Society ( By Ag-West Bio, March 6, 2012 )

Publish or perish is a well-known phrase in academia. It refers to the pressure for researchers to continuously publish academic work in order to progress and be recognized in their field.

Glen Schuler, managing director at the University of Saskatchewan’s Industry Liaison Office (ILO) says publishing is just one way for researchers to make their mark. Although he believes basic research is important, he says scientists can have a real impact by bringing their research to market. The ILO’s vision is to accelerate the commercialization of the University’s research and knowledge: “We want the technology to go out to benefit society.”

A good example of this is the circovirus vaccine for swine, developed at the U of S Western College of Veterinary Medicine. The technology has proven to be a game-changer for the hog industry. “Some breeders say that particular technology reduced mortality rate of hogs by 10 per cent,” says Schuler.

The ILO works with researchers to find the technologies with the best commercialization potential, then either license it to an existing company, or under the right circumstances, help start a new company. If it’s a single use technology, Schuler says they try to license to a mature company. “If you put that technology into a start-up and it doesn’t work, they don’t have anything to fall back on.” Platform technologies that can generate many products are a safer bet for start-up companies. Schuler says all the companies the ILO has started recently have been platform technologies.

Read more from Ag-West Bio's blog.

Tech Venture Challenge Promotes Entrepreneurship ( On Campus News March 2, 2012 )

It is a startling fact, but only about 10 per cent of new business ventures survive the first year of operations. The Industry Liaison Office (ILO) has launched a new competition called the Tech Venture Challenge with the aim of improving that figure. Among the reasons for the lack of success is not enough knowledge of what is required to launch a business and keep it running, said Glen Schuler, managing director of the ILO. “That is something the Tech Venture Challenge can help with.”

Open to all members of the U of S community - faculty, staff, researchers, students and alumni - the competition will award the winner $50,000 to launch their technology-based business idea. In addition to the prize money, Schuler explained, Innovation Place will be offering the winner office space, parking and an internet connection for a year, while Deloitte and Touche will provide business mentoring.

“This competition is not about building a business plan, it is about building a business,” Schuler said. “The finalists will have access to the expertise in the ILO and others from the university and business community to develop and refine their plans for a business. We will offer advice and tools - in areas like human resources, business planning, marketing, finance and operations.  During the summer and early fall, the finalists will use this information to develop and refine plans for their businesses.”

Obviously, Schuler explained, a good technology idea is needed. “But much more is needed to make it successful. The idea needs to be developed into a product or service that provides a valuable solution to a customer’s problem. And you need to develop a business model that will enable you to make money from the sale of the product or service.”

The application deadline for business ideas is April 27. In early May, the finalists will be announced. During the coming summer and early fall, the business plans will be developed and refined and the winner will be selected in October.

“It’s a win-win situation for all of the finalists. Each get training and education on business fundamentals and will learn how to develop and pitch their ideas to potential investors,” he said. “Our hope is that each of the finalists, in addition to the winner, will also get the tools and expertise to start their companies.”

Chubb Joins Ranks of U of S ( By Scott Larsor, The StarPhoenix, February 8, 2012 )

Michael Chubb will be planting seeds of entrepreneurial spirit among faculty and students of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, hoping some will grow thriving companies one day.

Chubb, a local life sciences business veteran, has been named entrepreneur-in-residence for 2012 by the University of Saskatchewan Industry Liaison Office, in conjunction with the two colleges.

The entrepreneur-in-residence program aims to create collaboration among businesses and the university, and help commercialize U of S researchers’ know-how and technology.

Chubb will work in the colleges with researchers, professors and students interested in the commercial potential of their technology. He will also encourage new thinking for research and how the outcome might have some commercial potential.

“I look forward to engaging the researchers, professors and students to turn knowledge into tangible business opportunities,” Chubb said. “I will help them think about entrepreneurial opportunity, not necessarily following the academic ivory tower path, to look at finding ways to create value out of those creations that they have researched.”

Industry Liaison Office at the U of S Gives a Helping Hand to Start-ups (January 19, 2012)

You can have the best idea in the world, but it's not worth much if you can't get it to market.

Glen Schuler and his staff at the Industry Liaison Office (ILO) at the University of Saskatchewan are trying to make sure every good idea or technology coming out of the campus has a chance to get to the marketplace.

"We accelerate the commercialization of university research and knowledge," said Schuler, ILO's managing director.

The ILO, established in 2004, is helping shepherd new technologies either by licensing the technology to existing companies or creating technology-based startup companies.

Lorna Shaw-Lennox, ILO's startup company specialist, said after a new technology comes to the office, they determine the value of the technology and do a market feasibility study.

If the results are positive, they determine what the best way would be to get the technology to market.

"If it only has one application, we don't recommend a startup," said Schuler, adding it would probably be best to licence it to an existing company. On the other hand, if the technology has more than one use, a startup company might be the best method.

One such company that has been helped by ILO is CollegeMobile. Read more from The StarPhoenix.

Commercializing Creativity – Innovation and Technology Coming Out of the University Labs (January 15, 2012)

The University of Saskatchewan Industry Liaison Office (ILO) adds value to the economy by accelerating the commercialization of new knowledge and research. This is achieved through licensing the technology to existing companies or creating technology based companies.

Since the ILO was established in 2004, the U of S has moved into the top 12% of Canadian universities and the top 28% of North American universities for technology commercialization (source: annual survey completed by Association of University Technology Managers).

Since 2004, the U of S's licensing income has increased almost seven-fold to nearly S7.3 million per year. The ILO manages $6 million of this total, where 50% flows to inventors and the other 50% is re-invested in the U of S.

The ILO technology transfer officers and managers, with expertise in key sectors, work with researchers to evaluate new ideas and facilitate intellectual property protection. They then identify companies interested in licensing these new technologies. Working with these companies means facilitating opportunities to directly engage researchers and create more competitive businesses, thereby improving Saskatoon’s business and innovation environment. Read more ...

Media Advisory: Ideas Inc. launches Cutting Edge Program and Announces Presenting Sponsors (September 12, 2011)

The Industry Liaison Office at U of S is pleased to support the new Ideas Inc. ICT. College Mobile as a U of S Start-Up has been one of the first companies to move into the ICT incubator and have already benefited from this arrangement. The office launch of the Ideas Inc ICT will be Monday, Sept 12 10:00. Read More ...

Strengthening Higher Education Stakeholder Relations in Africa Project (August 17, 2011)

The Industry Liaison Office is delighted to welcome Dr. Yosef Mammo (President) and Dr. Tesfaye Abebe (Director, Research & Development) from Hawassa University in Ethiopia. The delegates will be visiting many colleges and faculty members at the University of Saskatchewan during their two week visit.

The University of Saskatchewan has partnered with Ebonyi State University and Hawassa University to strengthen their community and industry linkages. Delegates from the two African Universities will be in Canada from August 13-27 to explore our Saskatchewan Model of University-Industry/Community Engagement. This is funded through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

CollegeMobile Update (July 27, 2011)

U of S spin-off company CollegeMobile announced today that it’s FaceMobile iPad application has been rapidly moving up the charts of paid Apps on iTunes. It is currently sitting at #27 among iPad entertainment downloads and #47 among Top Grossing iPad Entertainment apps in Canada!

FaceMobile for Facebook keeps you connected to all of your Facebook friends while you are on the go! Its interactive format allows you to browse through friends, photos, write on others walls and like various pages all from your iPad. FaceMobile is user friendly and keeps all the important channels for viewing in an column on the left-hand side, making the right side easily accessible for browsing.

The App can be found here: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/id449078400?s=143455

U of S and POS Bio-Sciences Collaborate to Commercialize Technology (July 22, 2011)

The University of Saskatchewan and POS Bio-Sciences, a Saskatoon-based bioprocessing contract research and development organization, have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to advance technology development and commercialization.

The MOA enables collaboration that will accelerate both parties’ shared objectives to help grow the Saskatchewan and Canadian economies through the generation of commercially valuable technologies.

Read more ...