Celebrate Canadian Innovation Week 2023 with UCalgary

Powered by the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF), Canadian Innovation Week (CIW) is the perfect opportunity to celebrate our country’s innovative spirit and the University of Calgary as Western Canada’s innovation hub.

The week is dedicated to recognizing and honouring Canada’s transformative innovators from coast to coast to coast who are making a positive impact within the country and on the global stage. Everyone is encouraged to come together and innovate for good as we work to solve some of Canada’s biggest challenges and inspire the next generation of innovators.

Innovation brought to life

A revitalization is underway at UCalgary to support a thriving community and world-class innovation hub where the full potential of creativity and research can be realized as economic prosperity, local job growth and world-changing solutions.

The University Innovation Quarter (UIQ) — formerly known as the University Research Park — will be Calgary’s latest mixed-use innovation district, designed to cultivate bright minds on the cutting-edge of advancements in science research and programming. Located just north of UCalgary’s main campus, UIQ spans 76 acres and is home to an existing ecosystem of startup companies and science, technology and research organizations.

This redevelopment has the potential to offer a complete ecosystem of networks — research, startups, office space for lease, lab space for rent, collision spaces, residential development and retail amenities — to foster and support the process of innovation in Calgary.

“The UIQ will allow innovative global companies to have a home in Calgary near the research and innovation activity of the university,” says Adam Cragg, UIQ executive director. “For technologies developed at the university, the UIQ will bring industry partners to the university’s doorstep. This will shorten the gaps within our ecosystem and increase the practical application of novel technology.”

Developers of the UIQ are currently in the process of integrating community feedback with its master-plan concepts and submitting an application to The City of Calgary.

Supporting our students

Cragg is also the acting executive director of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, a UCalgary-based centre for activities that support entrepreneurial student experiences, enabling faculty to lead in innovation and expand a growing community of innovative thinkers.

“The University of Calgary has been the No. 1 startup creator among research institutions in Canada for the last two years,” says Cragg. “We offer students support during every step of their entrepreneurial journey, from the first exposure to innovation and entrepreneurial thinking, through product iteration and development, all the way to venture capital funding and accelerators.”

How you can celebrate CIW

Celebrate innovations that find new and improved ways of addressing today’s many challenges, whether within Canada or on the global stage, by sharing and liking stories on social media with the hashtag #CIW23. You can also host or attend innovation-themed events and follow the conversation with #CIW23.

Here are some of the CIW events happening at UCalgary next week:

Child Health and Wellness Seminar: Childhood Adversity and Mental Health: Identifying Opportunities to Reduce Risk and Promote Resilience Across the Life Course
Monday, May 15, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Location: Online
Learn more and register

Equity in Tech: A Fireside Chat with ChicGeek and CyberHER
Tuesday, May 16, 12 – 1 p.m.
Location: Online
Learn more and register

Summer Wellness Series | Burnout: What To Do When You’re Overwhelmed and Exhausted About Everything You Have to Do and Still Worry That You’re Not Doing Enough
Tuesday, May 16, 12 – 1:30 p.m.
Location: Online
Learn more and register

Ascent Semi-Finals Pitch Competition
Tuesday, May 16, 12:30 – 4 p.m.
Location: Hunter Hub Collision Space (HNSC 401), 4th Floor, Hunter Student Commons
Learn more and register

Schulich Innovates
Wednesday, May 17, 11 30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location: Online or in-person (ENG 207)
Learn more and register

One Health Circle: Bugs, Drugs, and Your Pet
Wednesday, May 17, 7 – 8 p.m.
Location: Online
Learn more and register

Visit UCalgary’s CIW website for a collection of innovation stories and listings of upcoming events.