Spark Innovation Centre and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) are partnering to ignite Canadian innovation with their annual Ignite Start-up Pitch Competition.
“We couldn’t be more encouraged by OPG’s decision to partner with Spark Centre for this year’s Ignite competition,” said Spark Centre President & CEO, Sherry Colbourne. “Durham Region has incredible bench strength in energy technologies and joining forces with one of Durham Region’s legacy energy companies is a pivotal event for this entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
“Innovation is a key pillar of Ontario Power Generation,” said Jason Van Wart OPG’s Vice President Nuclear Inspections and Maintenance. “We are proud to partner with Spark and the Ignite competition to spur innovation across Ontario.”
Ignite is now entering its fifth year and is a pitch competition organized by Spark Centre and supported by several municipalities and businesses across Durham Region. OPG is looking to collaborate with innovators, entrepreneurs, and businesses to develop next-generation technology in the inspection industry. The winner of this category will collaborate with OPG and receive $25,000 of seed funding to further develop their idea.
The OPG category is looking for innovative ideas in the following areas:
- Automation and Robotics
- NDE (Non-Destructive Examination)
- Drones (UAVs – Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
- Process Management
- Software Solutions
- Underwater Inspections (Diving Operations)
- Laser Scanning/Mapping
- Data Visualization
Applications for all Ignite categories open August 21st and close September 29th. Those interested in applying can do so at www.ignitedurham.ca.
About OPG: OPG Generates safe, clean, reliable, low-cost power for Ontario. More than 99 per cent of this power is free of smog and greenhouse gas emissions. OPG’s power is priced 40 per cent lower than other generators, which helps moderate customer bills. For more information please visit www.opg.com.
About Spark Centre: Spark Commercialization and Innovation Centre is one of eighteen not-for-profit Regional Innovation Centres (RICs) that form part of the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs (ONE). The centre works to improve competitiveness and visibility of Durham Region and Northumberland County as a world-class innovation cluster. For more information on Spark Centre, please visit www.sparkcentre.org.
For more information:
Amanda Reynolds
Director of Marketing, Spark Innovation Centre
[email protected]
Media Relations
Ontario Power Generation
416-592-4008 or 1-877-592-4008
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