MaRS partners with Innovate UK
EP&T Magazine
Electronics Engineering hub innovation start-ups techSeeks to launch UK start-ups into North American markets
MaRS has announced its partnership with Innovate UK’s Global Incubator Programme to support the international expansion of UK advanced manufacturing companies. Eight promising ventures will use the pilot program at the Toronto-based innovation hub as a launch pad to find international partners, connections and customers to scale in the North American market.
“The partnership will accelerate the North American growth of our UK cohort and strengthen the manufacturing ecosystem here in Canada,” said Jon Dogterom, senior vice president of Venture Services at MaRS. “We want to build closer connections between the UK and Canadian innovation economy overall.”
The MaRS innovation hub is located at 101 College Street in downtown Toronto.
Innovate UK, the UK Government’s innovation agency will create a blueprint for future programs with MaRS and collaborations among accelerators, incubators and private ventures around the world. Similar programs are being tested in other global markets.
The first round of advanced manufacturing companies spans the worlds of high precision robotics, vision systems driving automated assembly and high-performance additive and composite fabrication. This inaugural cohort includes a maker of robotic farming harvesters, a company that has developed an automated real-time inspection system and another pushing the boundaries in additive metal production leveraging electron beam printing technology.
The members of the first group of advanced manufacturing ventures are:
Fergusson’s Advanced Composite Technology Limited
The four-month Manufacturing Incubation Program includes targeted workshops, advisory support and networking opportunities to help the participants sharpen their value proposition and better understand the market opportunities. By integrating the UK ventures into the MaRS ecosystem, the program aims to give the ventures a comprehensive understanding of the shape and needs of North America’s manufacturing community.
Globally renowned for helping companies scale
“MaRS gives these promising innovative UK manufacturing ventures a launch pad to the North American market and the potential for exponential growth,” said David Golding, the Head of Global Innovation Partnerships at Innovate UK.
“Enabling access to the North American market is expected to be an important step in turning these companies into global superstars,” said Jane Kearns, vice president of Growth Services at MaRS. “Our MaRS team is globally renowned for helping companies scale to their full potential and we are excited to work with the Innovate UK cohort.”
The participants will work with MaRS Advanced Manufacturing Program members like NGen, the organization leading Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, and Autodesk, a leader in 3D design and engineering software along with other corporate and community partners. It is also anchored by support from innovation and growth specialists at Innovate UK EDGE, to derive maximum benefit from the program.
