Building a knowledge-based economy: Algoma University positions itself as a catalyst for community innovation.

• Date: 01 April 2019
• Author: Ross, Ian

Pedro Antunes gets excited thinking about the possibilities to create a more knowledge-based economy in Sault Ste. Marie.

The associate biology professor at Algoma University marvels at the environmental research and science capacity both on the Queen Street campus and at two nearby government forestry labs.

"In a relatively small community, we have a huge number of people with post-secondary degrees in all areas of science and forestry," he said.

"From there it can stem into so many areas."

With an undergraduate population of about 1,000 students, Algoma University is still relatively young as an independent post-secondary institute, 10 years removed from its affiliation with Laurentian University in Sudbury.

As the executive lead of the university's research office, Antunes is promoting their on-campus talent and facilities by reaching out to local companies and organizations to help bring new products to market and open their laboratory doors to encourage more partnerships with the community.

In the last decade, Antunes explained, there's been a...