November 25, 2008
$25K is on the table if your MNT business is ready to take the next step – Flyer [download pdf]
Microsystems and nanotechnology (MNT) is a growing industry valued in the billions of dollars, but the entrepreneurs and businesses involved in the development of these technologies often encounter difficulties in reaching the right markets and customers. ACAMP is launching an exciting new program designed to help MNT researchers, small start-up companies and established firms have easy access to the specialized equipment and customized business knowledge resources that will enable them to take a prototype and business concept to market.
ACAMP bridges the gap between your product and a profitable business opportunity
ACAMP will hear pitches from potential clients and give up to $25K in business service credit.
Pitch your business case to ACAMP’s Executive Board and if they see merit in your proposal and potential in your prototype, you may be granted up to $25,000 in business service credit to go towards your project development at ACAMP over the course of one year.
Each Candidate will have 10 minutes to pitch their business case to the ACAMP Executive Board. The Board will engage in active discussion and decide if you are ready to receive funding support. The decision could be made at the table or you could be asked to come back at a later time with more information. Sessions happen once per business quarter starting in February 2009.
ACAMP board meeting and Business Case Pitch
Date: February, 2009
Time: TBD
Location: ACAMP, 2011 94 St. NW, Edmonton AB
Do bring:
A prototype
A business summary or business plan including:
* key individuals and bio’s
* an overview of your business concept
* identified key benefits
* identified target markets
* existing and potential customers / testimonials
* the funding level needed and time frame
* current financial supporters
* financial statements and the length of time involved in the project
Executive Board
ACAMP’s Executive Board members are all seasoned entrepreneurs who have each successfully created and launched their own MNT businesses. They are well versed in the challenges facing businesses development in the micro/nano industry sector and are ready to help you take your prototype to the next level of commercialization using ACAMP support.
For more information contact 780–468-2443 or info@acamp.ca
September 30, 2008
Edmonton – ACAMP Alberta Centre for Advanced MNT (Microsystems and Nanotechnology) Products is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kevin Yallup as Chief Technology Officer. In this new role Dr. Yallup will lead the product development effort within ACAMP to build a world-class capability in Alberta for the packaging and assembly of micro- and nano-scale technology devices, turning them into market-ready commercial or industrial products and applications.
“We are very pleased Kevin joined our team”, said Ken Brizel CEO ACAMP, “Kevin brings over 15 years experience in MNT product development from Europe to Alberta. In this role, Kevin will lead the ACAMP engineering team in supporting companies producing MNT products, through consultation, hands on design and development of state of the art packaging and assembly technologies.”
Dr. Yallup has been a key contributor and the project leader on the original study in the development of ACAMP. Dr. Yallup has a broad engineering experience in MNT products, prior to joining ACAMP, he has held engineering management roles in Technology for Industry Ltd., CDT Ltd., Kymata Ltd., BCO Technologies (NI) Ltd. , National Semiconductor and Analog Devices. Dr Yallup graduated from Cambridge University, UK with a degree in Natural Sciences, specializing in solid state physics.
“I am extremely excited to join ACAMP in this new role and eager to help shorten the path to commercialization for MNT companies.” said Dr. Kevin Yallup, CTO ACAMP,” Product development, packaging and assembly of MNT products are my focus supporting companies throughout the region.”
Yallup’s initial focus will be to provide practical industrial engineering support, purchase specific equipment and hire and help train the engineers needed to complete the team. ACAMP has established a class 1000 clean room, wet lab, metrology and test lab. State of the art assembly and packaging equipment is being put in place over the remainder of 2008 and beginning of 2009 including laser dicing, probers, gluing stations, Flip-Chip bonding and a host of test and reliability equipment which will facilitate the challenge of packaging micro and nano-products for prototyping and volume production for applications in energy, biomedical, agriculture, the environment, and information and communications technology.
ACAMP is the result of a collaborative effort between industry, government and academia to create a path to commercialization for established firms, small start-up companies and researchers in the microsystems and nanotechnology (MNT) sector. ACAMP is a not-for-profit company that provides support in three critical areas of commercialization: marketing & business development, product development and packaging and assembly.
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Ken Brizel, CEO
ACAMP
780–468-2443
info@acamp.ca
www.acamp.ca
August 27, 2008
Centre helps Alberta entrepreneurs move products to market
Edmonton… Small or large companies and tech-savvy entrepreneurs that want to bring nanotechnology products to world markets can now access technical and business services thanks to a new leading-edge centre in Edmonton’s Research Park.
The Alberta Centre for Advanced Microsystems and nanotechnology Products (ACAMP) is supported by $11.5 million in total funding with contributions of $8 million from the Alberta government and $3.5 million from Canada’s Western Economic Diversification. The centre will support the province’s growing nanotechnology sector in three critical areas of commercialization – packaging and assembly, business and product development and marketing.
“Alberta’s global reputation for nanotechnology research just became enhanced as we will now be recognized as a place for putting that technology on the store shelves and into peoples’ lives,” said Doug Horner, Alberta’s Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. “This new centre – the first of its kind in Canada – will give entrepreneurs a place to turn ideas into viable, market-ready products.”
Alberta produced nanotechnology products have applications in vital sectors such as medicine, resources and information and communications technology. Products made by Alberta companies include: lab on a chip microchips that speed medical diagnoses; nano-particle coatings to enhance the service life of earth moving machine blades; motion sensors for use in electronics; and, numerous other products that can impact the lives of Albertans.
“The launch of ACAMP helps position Western Canada at the forefront of innovation and is an important milestone in Alberta’s growing capacity for science and technology commercialization,” said the Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification. “In concordance with the Canada’s Science and Technology Strategy, Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada’s Advantage, our government is proud to contribute $3.5 million, through its Western Diversification Program, to help Alberta become a centre for nanotechnology development and production.”
“It’s incredible the number of emerging technology companies in Alberta with the potential to develop exciting new consumer products for world-wide markets,” said Ken Brizel, the recently appointed CEO of ACAMP. “Alberta is a prime location for world-class research, and ACAMP can provide the means to turn research into viable products. In fact, we are already helping our clients produce marketable products to compete globally.”
ACAMP will identify commercial market opportunities in global markets and promote Alberta’s nanotechnology capabilities nationally and internationally. An ACAMP team will work with start-up and established technology companies to coordinate product packaging and assembly in-house or through the University of Alberta’s NanoFab, the University of Calgary’s Advanced Microsystems Integration Facility or the National Institute for Nanotechnology of the National Research Council (NINT). ACAMP will also align its product development activities with the Microsystems Technology Research Initiative and Alberta Ingenuity’s nanoWorks program.
“ACAMP is the result of a collaborative effort between industry, government and academia to create a platform for product development activities in the province,” said Bruce Alton, Chair of the ACAMP Board of Directors. “And we are very pleased to have obtained the services of Ken Brizel as the first CEO of ACAMP.”
On June 11, the Alberta government introduced the $178-million Action Plan for Bringing Technology to
Market. This plan includes numerous resources that companies and technopreneurs can access to help move ideas into the marketplace in concert with ACAMP’s services. Alberta’s $130-million nanotechnology strategy, announced in May 2007, aims to capture two per cent of the world’s nanotechnology market by the year 2020, projected to be $1 trillion U.S., equaling $20 billion in annual commercial activity.
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Ken Brizel, CEO
ACAMP
780–468-2443
info@acamp.ca
www.acamp.ca
August 20, 2008
ACAMP is open for business, watch for press releases August 27, 2008.
November 1, 2007
ACAMP joins MNT leadership and cluster partners to deliver yet another successful education and training event, this one focused on tech-enabled product innovation.
For many Alberta companies, especially early stage and start-up “tech” companies, developing the first tech-based commercial product or innovating new ones, and bringing them to market successfully, can be a real struggle.
Lead MNT Cluster agencies, [EEDC – NanoMEMS and the Microsystems Technology Research Initiative (MSTRI)], in association with ACAMP, on November 1 and 2 welcomed industry product innovation management expert, Dr. Robert G. Cooper, who delivered the second instalment in an education and training series addressing the technical and business challenges of new product development. Titled “Winning at Product Innovation,” the two days included company operators, entrepreneurs and public sector interests related to food and agriculture, ICT, biotech, manufacturing, and microsystems and nanotechnology.
The Cooper seminar followed the highly successful inaugural (technical) workshop held in March 2007, “Practical Challenges in MNT Packaging and Systems Integration,” with experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (Berlin and Munich).
In the words of the participants: “Outstanding job” “Great seminar…” “The last two seminars have been world class…congratulations” “Keep up the great work.”
Plans are already in the offing for the next instalment early in 1Q08. Watch this space for announcements.
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