Innovative Partnership between ACAMP and Edmonton International Airport opens doors for start-up entrepreneurs

EDMONTON, Alberta, Aug. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Young start-up entrepreneurs in the Edmonton Metro Region will have a new home to access engineering and business mentors to develop future companies, thanks to a new partnership between three innovation drivers.

The AATC Incubator for Technology Start-Ups (ITS) is a fresh creation between the Alberta Centre for Advanced MNT Products (ACAMP), the Alberta Aerospace and Technology Centre (AATC) and Edmonton International Airport (EIA). ACAMP works as a product acceleration centre, supporting advanced technology start-ups from proof of concept to market commercialization. The ITS will enable entrepreneurs to move new technologies to market as part of the AATC which is based at EIA.

EIA is providing work space for the incubator program participants and ACAMP will manage the program and mentor start-up companies. The project aims to encourage start-up entrepreneurs with promising business ideas and prototype products.

"This is an enormous opportunity for Alberta to enable the creation of highly skilled jobs in advanced technologies and also create opportunities for entrepreneurs to take their product proof of concepts to market," said Ken Brizel, CEO, ACAMP.

As an example, many university and college students are engaged in industry relevant capstone projects that end when they graduate, without ever going to market. This new space will encourage and support students to further their projects and create businesses and gain technology commercialization and business support after graduation. The program will be rolled out through September 2019, which will allow entrepreneurs to apply for the free space. The entrepreneurs will also be provided with help in raising capital through this program and pitching their companies to investors.

"Edmonton International Airport, through the AATC, is supporting the growth of advanced technologies in Alberta, which directly impacts our global competitiveness" said Traci Bednard, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Digital Strategy, Edmonton International Airport. "Airports provide a unique environment for incubating technology, enabling testing in a live environment with real life applications.

"Alberta's innovative technology companies and student start-ups are recognized around the world for delivering leading-edge and advanced technology solutions. We're helping our young entrepreneurs compete and succeed in international markets, creating jobs and contributing to Alberta's global competitiveness," said Jim Carr, Minister of International Trade Diversification.

All entrepreneurs are welcome to apply for the space by contacting ACAMPs EIA location.

About ACAMP

Founded in Alberta, Canada in 2007, ACAMP is a unique industry-led advanced technology product development centre that entrepreneurs count on to move their innovation from proof-of-concept to manufactured product by providing access to multidisciplinary engineers, technology experts, unique specialized equipment, and industry acumen. ACAMP focuses on electronics hardware, firmware, software (ML/AI), sensors, and embedded systems. ACAMP is the only advanced technology product development group in Canada that provides a full range of support at each stage of the product development process. Offices in Edmonton and Calgary, ACAMP offers support to companies worldwide. For more information, please visit acamp.ca.

About Edmonton International Airport

Edmonton International Airport is a self-funded, not-for-profit corporation whose mandate is to drive economic prosperity for the Edmonton Metro Region. EIA is Canada's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and the largest major Canadian airport by land area. EIA offers non-stop connections to destinations across Canada, the US, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. EIA is a major economic driver, with an economic output of over $3.2 billion, supporting over 26,000 jobs. EIA's Airport City propels new jobs, tourism and economic diversification – and creates a destination in and around EIA, featuring entertainment, e-commerce, retail, hospitality, cargo/logistics, bio-pharma, light manufacturing and many other industries. EIA is focused on a digital strategy to ensure it becomes the airport of the future. For more information, please visit: flyeia.com, follow @flyeia on Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin or Facebook.

Media Contact:
Rosy Amlani, ACAMPCFO/VP Business Development
c: 780 909 5664
e: ramlani@acamp.ca

Chris Chodan, EIA                  
c: 780 700 3596                 
e: cchodan@flyeia.com

SOURCE ACAMP