BCIC partners with SFU and Ken Spencer to create more high-tech companies in BC

BCIC partners with SFU and Ken Spencer to create more high-tech companies in BC

Posted Thursday, 12 January 2012 16:42 by Lindsay Thom

It was a packed house this morning as close to 80 members of the SFU community gathered at the Surrey Campus for the official launch of entrepreneurship@SFU, a new high-tech entrepreneurship initiative created in partnership with BCIC and Dr. Ken Spencer.

The new Ken Spencer Entrepreneur Incubator, a component of the entrepreneurship@SFU initiative in partnership with BCIC, will unite third- and fourth-year business and applied sciences students and provide them with the skills, mentorship and resources to turn their innovative ideas into successful new ventures.

The campus was brimming with entrepreneurial spirit this morning as Dean Prelazzi, BCIC's VP of Business Development, Idea & Market Validation Stages, Dr. Ken Spencer, Daniel Shapiro, Dean of SFU's Beedie School of Business and Nimal Rajapakse, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences addressed the crowd to commemorate the launch.

Following the announcement, members of the community were invited to tour the new Product Design Studio, established in partnership with BCIC, a work and meeting space outfitted with design and prototyping equipment to help students launch new ventures.

Entrepreneurship@SFU, now in its pilot phase, will accept 20-25 students each year for seven years beginning in the fall of 2012. The program's goal is to produce six potential companies or products annually and to become an important contributor to BC's technology sector generating jobs, revenues and intellectual capital.

Learn more about entrepreneurship@SFU here.

Additional articles:
Globe and MailĀ Link | PDF
Surrey LeaderĀ Link | PDF