A tale of two innovation giants: science, tech converge at Algoma U.

• Author: Kelly, Lindsay
• Position: SAULT STE. MARIE

Two years after it broke ground on 'the Algoma University campus, the new Biosciences and Technology Convergence Centre is living up to its name as science, technology, academia and private enterprise converge to create economic development opportunities for the Sault.

An official opening will take place this fall, but tenants began moving in this summer, and Algoma University president Richard Myers is enthusiatic about the possibilities it presents.

"It's a very exciting kind of place, and we have very high hopes that it will allow us to make a very strong contribution to the development of the Sault Ste, Marie economy in a new technology-focused direction," he said, noting that renewable energy and economic development also tie into the mandate.

Anchoring the building is the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre and its business incubator, along with the Community Geomatics Centre, Algoma Games for Health, the Health Informatics Institute, and the Invasive Species Research Institute. State-of-the-art science labs for Algoma's science students have also been incorporated into the facility to complement a quintet of full-time science faculty that have been hired within the last few years.

"We have beautiful new science facilities and fantastic new science professors, and I think our science programming is probably very quickly going to become the most successful part of the university," Myers said.

For Tom Vair, executive director at the innovation centre, the new, spacious building has fulfilled a need for additional capacity Partnerships have been key to many of the centre's initiatives and the new space should only improve those relationships.

"At the end of the day, the whole thing is really just about trying to grow jobs and activity in the science and technology sector so we can bring back more talented young people to Sault Ste. Marie, or help them stay here, or attract new companies here," Vair said.

Four companies have moved into the incubator at the new building since August, and Vair anticipates they will soon reach capacity, but conceded "those are good challenges to have."

One of the centre's most recent initiatives was the successful implementation of Soo Sustainable, a seven-day series of activities and workshops that focused on renewable energy. Designed to provide information on the benefits of a sustainable community that includes renewable energy, the event complemented the city's work to develop a Community Sustainable...