March 25, 2024 @ 4:30pm | Exploring actors' perceptions of the precision agriculture innovation system

Location: K180, Abbotsford campus

Presenter: Prof Stefanie Bröring, Chair for Entrepreneurship and innovative business models, Ruhr-University Bochum

Prof. Bröring obtained her PhD in business administration at the University of Munster, Germany in 2005. Her research covers the emergence of the new technologies, technology convergence as well as science-based entrepreneurship in the field of sustainable technologies. 

November 20, 2023: Post-doc Talk

WHEN: Wednesday, November 22
TIME: 2:00-4:00pm
WHERE: A225, Abbotsford campus

April 13, 2022: The commercialization journey of a Fraser Valley tech-entrepreneur

• Speaker: David Leger, President & CEO H2 Portable Power Corp., Founder & CEO, Loop Energy Inc. (2000-2016)
  
  
• Summary: During this session, David will share his life-long entrepreneurial journey through the development of several companies and products. Suffice to say, they didn’t all make it. However, the lessons, skills and mindset obtained through the journey provide for a story worth telling and hearing. 

March 17, 2022: An alternative business model for social innovation in the Fraser Valley

• Speaker: Prof. Chris Schinkus, Dean, Faculty of Professional Studies 
  
  
• Summary: This presentation will introduce this new societal business model that provides a strategic framework for enhancing social innovation for SMEs by helping them to take into consideration the societal outcome of their business with the ultimate goal to create and capture economic, social, cultural and ecological values. 

February 16, 2022: How established agricultural firms strategically renew their technology portfolios through Artificial Intelligence

• Speaker: Dr. Michael Wustmans - Research Associate, Chair of Technology, Innovation Management, and Entrepreneurship, University of Bonn, Germany
  
  
• Summary: Little is known about how incumbents strategically renew themselves by implementing AI technologies to exploit new technology opportunities or explore new technological paths. By drawing upon patent data of the 16 most active global agricultural companies, we explore how incumbents rely on different types of AI-based inventions to follow discontinuous or incremental renewal strategies. Our results indicate that some incumbents focus on implementing AI technologies that serve new-to-company applications at an early stage. Others specify the usage of AI to extend the existing technology portfolio before exploiting new market opportunities. 

October 20, 2021: Conservation as Innovation - The role of biodiversity in agriculture

• Speaker: Dr. Sandra Gillespie - Faculty Associate, Esposito Family Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  
  
• Summary: Using examples from her own work and the work of others, Sandra will discuss the ways in which biodiversity and restoration efforts on farms can benefit farmers while simultaneously contributing to biodiversity conservation. She will further discuss how this could apply to challenges faced by farmers within the Fraser Valley, as this approach provides opportunities for collaboration between different groups to contribute to both conservation and sustainability in agriculture.

October 5, 2021: Meaningfulness of Work

• Speaker: Dr. Kirsten Roberston - Faculty Associate, Esposito Family Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  
  
• Summary: Workforce Connection is excited to bring you the “Meaningfulness of Work” workshop where you will (1) Describe the sources of work meaningfulness; (2) Identify what sources of work meaningfulness are most personally relevant; (3) Implement strategies for enhancing the meaningfulness of their own work.

September 27, 2021: Design Thinking

• Speaker: Dr. Jon Thomas - Director, Esposito Family Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  
  
• Summary: Workforce Connection is excited to bring you the “Design Thinking” workshop where you will  learn why the principles and practices of design thinking are critical for entrepreneurs and organizations seeking to better serve customers and communities. Examples of several successful and innovative products will be provided.

April 7, 2021: Titrating the Ambulance: Interfacing work and technological ‘innovations’ on the front lines of Emergency Medical Services

• Speaker: Dr. Michael Corman, Assistant Professor, Social, Cultural & Media Studies; EFCIE Faculty Associate
• Summary: In this presentation, Dr. Corman explored how paramedics work in and on their “apparatus unit” to make it a workable fit. This hidden and taken-for-granted work is important because much is at stake in the back of the ambulance, particularly in relation to quality of care and safety. Dr. Corman shed light on the situated work processes of paramedics as they orient and respond to their “apparatus unit” and enact quality and safety in practice. In doing so, he explored how we can deploy rigorous research strategies that are grounded in the “everyday” to make technological innovations more generous to those they are intended for.

EFCIE Event Flyer - 20210407 - Dr. Corman (PDF)

March 24, 2021: Venturing into Biotechnology

• Speaker: Michael Parr, PhD, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Sitka Biopharma; EFCIE Industry Mentor
• Summary: In this presentation, Dr. Michael Parr spoke from his experience in the biotechnology sector to look at the process of evaluating a new idea or technology, and forming a new company. He also discussed strategies for managing risks and gave practical advice for finding support, mentors, and investors to enable one's vision to become a viable company going forward.

EFCIE Event Flyer - 20210324 - Dr. Parr (PDF)

March 17, 2021: Human-centered A.I. in Sustainable Energy Optimization for Smart Homes and Buildings

• Speaker: Dr. Amir Shabani – Asst. Professor, Computer Information Systems; EFCIE Faculty Associate
• Summary: In this talk, Dr. Shabani explained how his research team has developed a solution using Artificial Intelligence (AI) that could provide a data-driven strategy for energy optimization in a smart building while improving comfort and productivity. More specifically, he explained the importance of early market data collection and its role in the design of a human-centered AI solution in product development.

EFCIE Event Flyer - 20210317 - Dr. Shabani (PDF)

March 10, 2021: Innovation and Competitiveness Linkages in India: Exploring Opportunities for IIT Bombay & Canada Cooperation

• Speaker: Dr. Kirankumar S. Momaya – Professor, Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay
  
• Summary: Building on rich experiences of building partnerships with Japan and his current work at IIT Bombay, Dr. Momaya explored the potential and possibilities for research collaborations between Canada and India, focusing on emerging industries such as digital platforms, nanotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, and clean technology.

EFCIE Event Flyer - 20210310 - Dr. Momaya (PDF)‌ | UFV Today story

February 4, 2021: Tools for Your Toolkit: Biomechanical Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis

• Speakers: Dr. Gillian Hatfield – Asst. Professor, Kinesiology, UFV; Jesse M. Charlton – MSc, PhD(c), UBC
• Summary: Dr. Hatfield and Mr. Charlton discussed the biomechanical risk factors for knee osteoarthritis progression, and what current non-invasive and non-pharmacological treatment options are available for individuals with knee osteoarthritis (e.g., shoe orthotics, gait modification).

EFCIE Event Flyer - 20210204 - Dr. Hatfield, Charlton (PDF)

January 20, 2021: Social Enterprise Workshop

• Speaker: Stacey Corriveau – Founding Executive Director, BC Centre for Social Enterprise
• Summary: Ms. Corriveau provided an introduction to the legal landscape of social enterprise in Canada, and discussed why social enterprises are an important mechanism for the identification and mitigation of significant challenges facing society.

EFCIE Event Flyer - 20210120 - Corriveau (PDF)