R&D and Related Organizations

There are several world-renowned R&D and related organizations located in the Okanagan region that perform and facilitate R&D and innovation. This section lists the research organizations and R&D facilitators that may be of interest to your business. These organizations provide support and service that can benefit your organization in a number of ways. These services include financial assistance; incubator facilities; assistance with technology development and intellectual property protection; and access to facilities, technology experts, technologies and intellectual property.

• Research Organizations
• Incubators
• Facilitators of R&D and Innovation
• University Technology Transfer Centres

There are several state-of-the-art research facilities throughout the Okanagan and the rest of Canada that you may choose to work with in one or more of the following ways:

R&D Collaboration: You may work in collaboration with many of these research facilities and share the cost and management of projects aimed at developing new technologies, new and improved products, or improved processes.

Consortia: Any size of firm can benefit from involvement in a consortium. The sharing of investment facilities and personnel can lead to technology developments and breakthroughs that can benefit an entire industry.

Licensing: Licensing may be an effective way to increase your proprietary technology position, knowledge and patent portfolio. Many organizations share their expertise in licensing.

Secondments: Many government research organizations encourage secondments to and from industry in joint technology development projects.

Contract Research and Consultation: Many of the following research organizations provide the services of specialist personnel and facilities at competitive rates.

Research Organizations

Research organizations are facilities or institutes whose mandates are dedicated almost entirely to engaging in a vareity of research and innovation activities. Three such organizations are currently located in the Okanagan:

• Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory
• Pacific Agri-food Research Centre
• University of British Columbia - Okanagan Office of Research Services

Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory
The Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO), located just south of Penticton, houses the NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics.  DRAO is a facility for observing and studying radio waves from space.  It is equipped with the most sensitive radio receiving equipment currently possible and the computers and other equipment necessary to control the radio telescopes, collect the data and to process them. 

The NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (NRC-HIA) is advancing astronomy through instrument development and data management and has helped put the most advanced technologies on the world's best telescopes. The NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics provides first-class research facilities in observational astronomy to the national research community. Most of their activities are conducted in the context of major international agreements and partnerships that leverage the available resources.

NRC-HIA collaborates closely with universities and Canadian industry. University scientists are not only major users of DRAO's facilities, but also collaborate on the development of advanced technologies. NRC-HIA is substantially intensifying its efforts to transfer advanced technology developed in the demanding realm of astronomical observation to other, unrelated applications, as well as to strengthen traditional industrial collaborations.

Pacific Agri-food Research Centre
The PARC Summerland laboratory was established in 1914 as a Dominion Experimental Farm. The prime concerns were to find out which crops, crop varieties and breeds of livestock were best suited to the area and to find solutions to production problems. Today PARC Summerland staff conduct research in several different areas to enhance the agricultural sector locally, regionally, and nationally. The three broad areas of expertise at the Centre are Horticulture and Environment, Food Science and Biotechnology.

University of British Columbia - Okanagan

The UBC-Okanagan Office of Research Services (ORS) is responsible for the following research administration functions: 

• Providing information and assistance in the research grant application process.
• Providing the institutional signature for research grant applications.
• Establishing research accounts and spending limits for research grants in accordance with UBC and granting agency policies.
• Providing administrative support for a variety of research programs offered by several internal UBC committees.
• Ensuring compliance with government regulations and granting agency requirements for the use of human subjects, animal subjects and biohazardous materials in research conducted at UBC.
• Establishing inter-institutional arrangements for the transfer of funds to research collaborators at other institutions.
• Providing statistical information on research funding at UBC.

For a list of other provincial and national research organizations, click below:

Additional Provincial and National Research Organizations

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A business incubator is a facility or organization designed to assist emerging businesses in becoming established and profitable while still in the start-up stage (when they are the most vulnerable).  The main goal of the majority of incubation programs is to commercialize new technologies and to produce companies that create jobs and wealth within their respective communities. Incubators do this by providing access to shared premises at reasonable rates, guidance and mentoring from successful professionals, business services, financing, and networking.  Incubation normally lasts one to three years, with the newly established business eventually moving out of the incubator and setting up their own offices elsewhere. 

Okanagan Research and Innovation Centre (ORIC) 

Located at the Industry Partnership Facility of the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO) near Penticton, BC, the Okananagan Research and Innovation Centre (ORIC) is a not-for-profit society that supports local high-tech industry, performs applied research and development and technology transfer for commercial purposes, supplies professionals with training, and manages an on-site business incubator. 

Start-up technology companies can rent space at this on-site incubator and use the high-tech infrastructure and expertise available at DRAO.  Client companies can get support with their business plans, prototyping, and connection to public and private funding organizations. 

A list of other Research Parks and Incubators located in British Columbia and other provinces can be found below:

Additional Research & Development Incubators

A list of Incubators in Canada is published by the Canadian Association of Business Incubators

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Facilitators of R&D and Innovation

Research & Development and Innovation Facilitators are organizations, usually comprised of industry professionals, government officials, financial experts, development agencies and corporate advisors that foster research and innovation by facilitating connections between people (i.e. "networking").  Localised regional innovation systems play a key role in facilitating vibrant and connected communities. These connections often provide a cascade of new opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs and start-up business ventures. 

Okanagan Science & Technology Council

The Okanagan Science & Technology Council (OSTEC), a membership driven organization, fosters an environment that supports science and technology initiatives by acting as a representative and advocate for the interests of members and the business community as a whole.

OSTEC brings people together, partnering with industry, agencies and government. OSTEC's mission is to foster the development of the region as a globally competitive centre of excellence in the research, development and application of science, technology and innovation. Branding of the Okanagan region as "The Silicon Vineyard" enables the council to promote the region's vibrant science and technology community with strong growth, a well-developed infrastructure and a lower cost of doing business. OSTEC aims to improve the industrial competitiveness of its members and local industries by facilitating R&D activity with R&D institutions.

Industrial Research Assistance Program

The Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) is a program of Canada's National Research Council (NRC). For more than 50 years, NRC-IRAP has helped small and medium-sized Canadian firms create and adopt innovative technologies that yield new products, create high-quality jobs, and make industry more competitive.

The program is delivered by an extensive integrated network of 260 professionals in 100 communities across the country.  This allows NRC-IRAP to offer clients direct technical assistance with the lastest technological advances, expertise, facilities and resources, as well as cost-shared financing of innovative technical projects. Working directly with these clients, NRC-IRAP supports innovative research and development and commercialization of new products and services.

There are three IRAP Industry Technology Advisors in the Okanagan region:

Provincial and National R&D Facilitators

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University Technology Transfer Centres

University Technology Transfer Centres (or University/Industry Liason Offices) are knowledge-transfer centre designed to assist faculty, staff, and students to establish ongoing working relationships with agencies and firms that collaborate with the university through research partnerships for the purpose of furthering successful commercial applications of university-based research and technology. 

University of British Columbia - Okanagan University-Industry Liason Office

The University of British Columbia - Okanagan University-Industry Liaison Office (UBC-UILO) is a high performance team that guides breakthrough UBC research to business reality.  UBC-UILO is a respected leader in capitalizing on innovation. UBC-UILO provides vital support to leading researchers whose dedicated efforts contribute to the future of Canadian society. 

UBC-UILO provides business direction for life-enhancing technologies that:

• Improves health for individuals and our environment.
• Generates wealth for our economy, companies, UBC, researchers, and shareholders through the creation of new jobs, profits from business operations, and an expanded tax base.

For more information, please contact:
Andrew Klimek, Associate Director UBC-Okanagan UILO
andrew.klimek@ubc.ca
Tel: (250) 807-9853 (Kelowna)
 

Additional University Technology Transfer Centres

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Disclaimer: although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy, currency and reliability of the content of this site, the Okanagan Research & Innovation Centre accepts no responsibility in that regard.