2. The Centre for Research & Innovation (CRI)
This successful model was developed after
careful consideration by PREDA and the
College in consultation with regional
business leaders, innovators, technical
experts, economic development agencies
and service providers.
The CRI is a partnership of
Grande Prairie Regional College’s
Integrated Research Unit and
Peace Region Economic
Development Alliance’s The
Innovation Network.
Centre 2000
GPRC

3. The Centre for a Network of regional
researchers and innovators; and
The Model for Regional
(Rural) Innovation.
CRI Vision

4. Annual Revenue, Expense
Period April 1 to March 31
$0
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
$2,500,000
2007 - 08 2008 - 09 2009 - 10 2010 - 11 2011 - 12
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
Base Line

5. Annual Revenue Trends
Period April 1 to March 31
$0
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
$2,500,000
2007 - 08 2008 - 09 2009 - 10 2010 - 11 2011 - 12
RADF Revenue
Other Revenue

6. 1. Centre for Research & Innovation
Vision
The Center for a Network of regional researchers and
innovators; and The Model for Rural Innovation
Mixed staffing model
• Employees
• Contracted consultants
• Volunteers (ambassadors)
Funding (2010-2011 $2.4 m Revenue vs. $2.1 m Expenses)
• Operating Funds: AET/AI-TF & RADF & clients
• Research Funds: Industry / NSERC – CCI / CFI
application
• Project funds (IRAP, PREDA, others)
The Centre of a Network of Regional Researchers and Innovators

7. 2. Culture of Innovation
Regional Entrepreneurs & Innovators
• ~40% patent requests from 5% population (2005)
• More patents per capita than half of Canadian
Provinces
• Grande Prairie #1 in Canada for
entrepreneurship (2010) [was #2 – 2009]
Innovation Awards
Awareness Programs
• Advertizing campaign
• Destination Imagination (schools)
‘. . . The Model for rural innovation

8. Innovation Ambassador Program
Developed by:

11. Rural Service Model – service first
GPRC: Fairview College Campus
GPRC:
Grande Prairie Campus
Centre 2000
Chamber of Commerce
Peace River
Community Futures Peace Country
So . . . What is working?
Working together is success ‚One-stop-shop for SMEs‛

12. Sirolli Model (2003)
• Production
– ‘Making the product’
• Marketing
– ‘Selling the product’
• Business Management
– ‘Keeping the books’
ManagerPromoter
EntrepreneurInnovator
Timmins Model (2009)
Business Skills
Creativity
Models:
Innovator & entrepreneur services

13. http://www.innovationexpert.net/

15. Principles:
• Do not tell clients what to do EXCEPT  IP
• Do not market clients’ products for them
• Ensure we maintain climate of non-
disclosure and confidentiality
• Avoid conflicts of interest (self and
among clients)
• Use a variety of models and
approaches
Innovator & entrepreneur services

16. 3. Innovation Services
Inventor management services
1. Intellectual Property Assessment and Management
2. Prototype Development
3. Idea Assessment and Management
4. Investor Readiness
5. Mentoring/Coaching
6. Workshops (eight topics)
7. Market Analysis
GPRC: Fairview College Campus
GPRC:
Grande Prairie Campus
Centre 2000
Chamber of Commerce
Peace River
Community Futures Peace Country
Regional Service Points
Our Model
‘one-stop-shop’ for SMEs

17. 3. Innovation Services
GPRC: Fairview College Campus
GPRC:
Grande Prairie Campus
Centre 2000
Chamber of Commerce
Peace River
Community Futures Peace Country
February 2012 Innovation Services Report
Centre for Research & Innovation Client Summary as at February 29, 2012
Clients Inquiry IP Workshops Celebrations Total
Apr 2007 - June 2008 41 0 7 19 0 67
July 2008 - June 2009 65 0 66 50 43 224
July 2009 - June 2010 73 8 72 458 111 722
July 2010 - June 2011 27 69 54 118 72 340
July 2011 - Feb 2012 28 15 37 110 0 190
234 92 236 755 226 1543

18. Programs:
1. Idea Assessment and Management
• work with clients to help them define
problems, filter ideas and create solutions.
CRI staff works with clients to assess new
product development & innovation-based
business strategies, clarify ideas and develop
work plans designed to move their ventures
forward.
• CRI’s strength is its knowledgeable path-
finding services and contacts into local
and regional networks offering
marketing, engineering, investment
readiness and management expertise.
Innovator & entrepreneur services

19. Patents applied/100,000 population

20. Productivity (2009)
• Productivity AB tools
The Webtool (2003)
• Idea
• Will it Work?
• Is it Feasible?
– prototype
• Is it Viable?
– financial
• Implementation
1. Idea Assessment and Management
Assessment Tools
Programs:
Innovator & entrepreneur services

21. 2. Intellectual Property
Assessment and
Management
• help clients assess and
manage their intellectual
property inquiries.
• The CRI uses both internal
and external expertise (IP
Lawyer) to work with clients.
Thompson Woodruff
Programs:
3. Investor Readiness
• advises innovators, entrepreneurs and
SMEs on accessing money for the
development of their new product
development ideas and innovation-
based company growth plans.
• The CRI works with clients to assist
them on how to ‚prepare the pitch‛
and offers them access to an
Investment Readiness group for
investment feedback and potential
introductions to investors.
Innovator & entrepreneur services

22. 4. Prototype Development
Services
• assists
inventors/innovators, entrepreneurs
and SMEs with their prototype
development and testing across a
wide range of industry sectors and
technical areas.
• The CRI uses both internal and
external expertise for designing &
developing prototype
systems, processes and
products, and analyzing & testing
new technologies.
Programs:
“The CRI are an understanding
group that understand the needs
and requirements of a start-up
company and channel activities
in appropriate ways.”
-Paul Dagesse, Founder and CEO
Rhinokore Composites Ltd.
Innovator & entrepreneur services

23. 5. Mentoring/Coaching
• provides clients with assistance
and advice on various aspects of
their innovation-based business
endeavors.
• CRI uses internal expertise and
brings together experienced
industry leaders to provide
valuable input to clients as
needed.
Programs:
"I only wish that I'd run into
CRI earlier. They're a
tremendous ally!"
-David Forseth, President
Cataflow Technologies Inc.
Innovator & entrepreneur services

24. 6. Market Analysis
• works with clients by providing
advice on marketing, sales and
distribution of new innovation
products and services.
• CRI uses internal and external
expertise to access intelligence
and contacts through a network
of Market Intermediaries in the
region and beyond.
Programs:
Innovator & entrepreneur services
← Janet Plante –
Blue Collar Consulting:
Market mentoring for
2nd Base Originals →

25. Programs:
7. Learning Opportunities
• engaged in a host of learning opportunities via applied
research, business training and demonstration projects on
innovation, commercialization, and entrepreneurship.
• CRI topics include for example: Idea to Implementation: The
Innovation Workshop; Researching Products and Markets;
Critical Marketing Techniques; Investment Capital;
Intellectual Property 101; Inventors Workshop; Market
Intermediaries, Foresight Scenario Planning.
• Hosted topics include: SR&ED, AMFI, AB
Government program information sessions
Innovator & entrepreneur services

26. Innovation Workshops (new and refurbished)
Idea to Implementation – The Innovation Workshop (I2I)
“In this workshop, participants will be guided through the steps of the new product
development process.”
Researching Products & Markets (RPM)
“Where the marketing process begins – an introduction to the importance of product
and market research”
Critical Marketing Techniques (CMT)
“This workshop will help you apply key marketing techniques to your own product idea.
You will leave knowing what your next steps should be.”
Marketing Competitive Intelligence (MCI) Series
- series of external workshops: Duct Tape Marketing, Eureka Ranch ; tba]

27. Innovation Workshops (new and refurbished)
Equity Capital Workshop (ECW)
“This workshop provides information on the types of investment capital; the application
of that capital at every stage of the development process, and tips on how to access it!”
Intellectual Property Management (IP 101)
“If you do not routinely protect all of your business assets with patents, copyrights and
trademarks - what’s to stop someone from using them? This workshop addresses why
you should make intellectual property protection a standard operating procedure!”
Innovation Ambassador Training (IAT)
“Obtaining the training you require in order to be a confident Innovation Ambassador
and or be a more informed (about innovation) Advisory Team member”

28. CRI Clients

30. ‚Everyone talks about innovation but what I don’t think people understand is the
process involved in innovation. To me you have to think about 3 other words that
are linked and cannot be separated from the word INNOVATION and they are
CHANGE, FEAR AND TRUST.
You cannot have innovation without the recognition that change is needed. But for
most people it is fear that will break the link in the chain that is needed to move
forward.
Until a few years ago I never considered myself an innovator so the fear that myself,
and other innovators I’m sure must feel is at times a major hurdle to
overcome. This fear is a fear of criticism, financial failure, embarrassment in the
community, failing your family, colleagues and fear of failure itself.
So without gaining the feeling of trust and acceptance from somewhere you cannot
overcome the fear. Trust takes time to build and I believe that the
CRI is a place I can trust to discuss freely the ideas and concepts in
order to innovate.‚
Randy Galbreath – Stratus Pipelines Ltd. Grande Prairie
CRI Innovation Award Recipient – System Change

31. Client Quotes
• “Your team (at the CRI) has provided our business with
more support than we could have ever imagined! Thank
you so much!"
- Julie Boucher NordicPac Ltd.
• The innovation voucher program helped us to establish
our new brand (The WoodPad Inc.), create a marketing
plan, develop a number of our glulam timberframe
product designs and drawings complete with engineering
sign-off.
Julie Boucher, President The WoodPad Inc.

32. Client Quotes
• The CRI has been instrumental in helping me
network with the right people in the industry to
challenge some of my thought processes, develop
my ideas from paper to prototype to patent
“pending” and of course fund and assist funding.
Richard VanderZee – OnTrack Supplies & Equipment –
Grande Prairie AB.

33. Client Quotes
• "Through the CRI with the Innovation Voucher
Program, Endeavour Equipment was able to take
our conceptual design to a prototype stage. The
CRI had the services, network & expertise to
ensure this challenging transition was handled
efficiently & professionally while meeting our
requirements with a personalized approach. I
recommend the CRI's professional innovation
services to business of any size & any field of
work..."
Adam Corfe, VP, Endeavour Equipment Inc.

34. 2nd Base Originals
is a web based business
offering creative &
fashionable accessories for
breast cancer survivors.
“Wow what can we say... we
met you (CRI) when we had hit
a brick wall. We had a great
idea and followed it through as
far as we could and then stalled
because we had no idea how to
proceed. Left to our own, we
may have given up… You
provided us with sound
professional advice on
marketing and production and
patenting. You encouraged us
to harness our enthusiasm and
believed in us which still carries
us through this new adventure.
- Katherine Fleming
Co CEO 2nd Base Originals
About the Centre for
Research & Innovation…

35. Intel Energy Systems Ltd.
Intel Energy Systems
Intel Energy Systems provides
renewable energy generation systems
for homes, commercial, industrial and
public sector. Their hybrid solar wind
generation system can provide greater
than 100 per cent of the electricity
required to run a house or a
commercial building.
CRI Service provided: innovation voucher
Sam Perera

36. CRI Client Randy Hanson

37. The most reliable, economical,
‘start it & forget it’
Heat Trace System on the market!
"I only wish that I'd run into
CRI earlier. They're a
tremendous ally!"
- David Forseth, President
Cataflow Technologies Inc.
The Cataflow system is a flameless, self-powered hydronic heating
system, designed to operate away from the power grid.
Perfect for flow lines, pipelines, well heads and BOP’s.

38. Recent CRI Client – Kim Kinderwater with his prototypes
A number of different sources and surveys tell us that innovation
in the Peace is rates near the highest per capita in all of
Canada. That is a “warm and fuzzy” statistic to know, but since I
have lived here most my life, it seems quite normal to me. I have
always known someone who is tinkering with something to come
up with a better way. Why wouldn’t we look for a better way? It
may make life easier and besides, exploration is fun!

39. Applied Research Update

40. Pollutants to Products (P2P)
Concept – Reframes waste from a problem to a useful resource and
turns pollutants into industrial products
There are currently 20 major industry and 5 government partners
Total funding of $3,500,000
Major researchers
Dr. Weixing Tan – Principal Investigator
Dr. Melissa Day – Research Coordinator
Dr. Bruce Rutley – Director of CRI
Mr. Langji Lin – Research Engineer
GPRC Faculty members – Dr. Phil Johnson, Dr. Les Rawluk, Dr. George Ding, Dr. Ali Al-
Asadi, Dr. Georgia Goth, Mr. Rick Scott, Ms. Audrey Wells
GPRC Students - various

41. Turning Air Pollutants into Microalgae
• Microalgae are aquatic plants that need CO2
to live
• Flue gas from a boiler is pumped to the algae
• Algae then remove most of the CO2 from the
gas
Chlorella vulgaris:
Pilot Plant algal species
Pilot Plant - algae tubes;
artificial light
ConocoPhillips, NSERC, En
Eco Systems
Inc, Woodmere
Nursery, Rheaume
Engineering, Pond
Biolfuels, Converted
Carbon Technologies
Project partners

42. Wastewater to Industrial Fiber (poplar)
• Wastewater contains nutrients trees can use (particularly
nitrogen and phosphorus)
• Wastewater is used to fertilise hybrid poplar trees
• Reduces need for storing/extreme treatment of wastewater
and (hopefully) increase tree growth
Hybrid Poplar
County of Grande Prairie
Aquatera
Ainsworth Eng LLP
NSERC
Canadian Forest Services
Clairmont site
Project partners

43. Hardening of White Spruce
• Arrival of spring is not consistent year to year
• A late spring frost can cost forestry industry
millions in mortality
• Seedlings are ‘hardened’ prior to planting as a
method to prevent/reduce frost losses
White spruce
Evidence of frost
Manning Diversified Forest
Products, Tolko Industries,
Vanderwell Construction,
Weyerhaeuser, CANFOR, PRT
Nursery, NSERC
Project partners

44. Winter Planting – Wetland Reclamation
• Resource companies must reforest
• Wetlands in northern Alberta cannot be reforested in
spring (too soft for heavy machinery)
• Winter planted black spruce (<95% survival rate)
Black spruce (8 months old)
Winter planting: high hoe
making mounds for seedling
OSLI; Nexen, Global
Restoration Alberta, Alberta
Environment, Sustainable
Research
Development, Next
Generation; Centre for
Resource Excellence
Project partners

45. Development Projects

46. Unmanned Vehicle Systems CCUVS-NW

47. 47
Vision:
A state-of-the-art National Bee Diagnostic Services Centre offering
comprehensive diagnostic services to the Canadian beekeeping
industry (honey and pollination) and surveillance services to
industry and government/regulatory bodies.
National Bee Diagnostic Centre

48. National Bee Diagnostic Centre
Centre of Excellence
~ honey bee production and management ~
National Honey Bee Research Program
Beekeeper Technician Certificate
Fairview College Campus
Peace Country Honey
Production

49. Peace Country Big Press Centre
(working title)
This report was prepared by the Centre for Research & Innovation (CRI),
a Grande Prairie Regional College – Peace Region Economic Development Alliance partnership.
.
Contact:
Bruce Rutley, PhD PAg, Director
Centre for Research & Innovation
Grande Prairie Regional College
780 539 2220 brutley@gprc.ab.ca

50. Peace Country 2050 Scenario Vignettes
www.thecri.ca

51. Scenario Planning:
the decisions we make now (or don’t make now) –
will determine our future!