Technology Road Maps (TRM) are strategic planning documents that identify potential gaps in technology areas for long-term success of a company and/or industry. Further to positive feedback from our previous DTAPP Factories of the FutureRoad Mapping roundtable late last year, and as requested by participants in our Emerging Technologies workshops, RRC will be holding a three-day workshop to dig a little deeper into the details of creating and operationalizing TRMs. This hands-on workshop is intended for manufacturing managers or those who are involved in the technology agenda at their organization – or for those who want to learn more about the technology road map process in general. Benefits of this workshop and learning more about TRMs could include: (1) Knowing more about operationalizing a TRM can put your business plan into a broader context of markets and technology; (2) Help identify gaps in skills, technology and funding; (3) Identify opportunity windows for new products and services, as well as productivity, and; (4) Get the chance to network and discuss TRMs with other organizations.
The high-level agenda:
Day 1: Morning – Introduction to the TRM process and how it interfaces to a business plan for small- to medium-sized organizations. Afternoon – Participants dissect the example of the UK Technology Foresight Vehicle TRM.
Day 2:  Morning – A hands-on investigation and analysis of R&D issues around (a) additive manufacturing or (b) robotics and automation (and perhaps (c) bonding of dissimilar materials – if sufficient number of participants). Afternoon – Review and discuss options of licensing or importing technology, and the technology insertion element to operationalize your roadmap. Participants will be working in groups.
Day 3: Morning – Continuation from the previous afternoon and group report outs. Afternoon – a discussion on the summary of the findings from our DTAPP assessment on Factories of the Future.
Maximum # for workshop: 16
Dates/Times: Wednesday, February 20^th – Friday, February 22^nd, 2013 | 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Cost: $395 + tax
Location: TBA, Winnipeg, MB
Thanks to the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program’s Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program for its support.
Registration online at: http://blogs.rrc.ca/ar/event-registration/?ee=15

INNOVATE MANITOBA, in collaboration with University of Manitoba, Red River College and University of Winnipeg, presents IndustryCONNECTS, a three-part program specifically designed to assist researchers in making successful connections with industry.

• LEARN AND PRACTICE THE ART AND SCIENCE OF THE RESEARCH SALES PITCH!
• INITIATE FEDERALLY-FUNDED ACADEMIC RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS!

Part 1: Researcher Pitch Coaching: Enrich your Pitch!
Academic researchers are invited to join Innovate Manitoba and our expert investor pitch coach, Linda Plano with Plano and Simple to learn and practice the art and science of the research sales pitch.

Register Now!

Note: Those who participate in this event will automatically be eligible to take part in Part 2: Researcher Pitch Practice.
Part 2: Researcher Pitch Practice
Part 2 of our Industry CONNECTS program offers those researchers who participated in Researcher Pitch Coaching: Enrich your Pitch! a unique opportunity to practice their newly developed research pitches to a live panel of business experts and investors.

Register Now!

Note: Those who register for Part 2: Researcher Pitch Practice only (and do not participate in Part 1: Research Pitch Coaching), will be subject to approval by Innovate Manitoba on an individual basis.
Part 3: Industry/Researcher Matchmaking & Funding
Connecting the dots…Those who attend Researcher Pitch Coaching: Enrich your Pitch! and Researcher Pitch Practice will be automatically approved to participate in Innovate Manitoba’s Matchmaking and Funding Day.
Imagine an event where academic researchers and firms seeking research assistance can develop research partnerships and learn about and initiate applications for federal funding at the same time…
Imagine no more! Matchmaking and Funding Application Day aims to do just that with the support of knowledgeable administrators with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Register Now!

Download Brochure for More Information
Questions or Concerns?
Please Contact:
Brent Wennekes
Research & Programs Manager | Innovate Manitoba
brentwennekes@innovatemanitoba.com

Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, under construction in 2011

Manitoba’s Red River College is poised to become one of Canada’s top culinary and food-testing centres thanks to an investment by WD in its new Paterson GlobalFoods Institute.

The funding enabled the college to purchase specialized food science equipment for its Paterson Institute, scheduled to open January 2013 in the historic Union Bank Tower in Winnipeg’s Exchange District.

“Our Government’s top priority is creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity,” said Minister Yelich. “This investment will help ensure the right conditions to develop, test, and commercialize products to bring to market in the food industry.”

Ray Hoemsen, Director of Applied Research and Commercialization at Red River College, said the new equipment’s advanced technological capabilities are helping establish the college as one of Canada’s leading culinary and foodtesting institutes.

“We now have one of the best-equipped facilities in terms of food preparation and advanced technology, particularly in the key areas of testing, tasting, preparation and storage for commercial use,” said Mr. Hoemsen.

Equipped with this new technology, the College’s students and faculty will work directly with local industry to develop and test new food products and processes, ensuring healthier and
tastier foods for Canadians.

By working in partnership with private industry, the College is translating its knowledge and technology into new commercial food products for large
markets and creating new jobs.

As a result, Red River College is helping create new business opportunities by boosting the competitiveness of Manitoba’s food and beverage processing industry – an industry that represents close to one quarter of the province’s manufacturing output, and $4 billion annually in shipments.

Excerpted from Western Economic Diversification Canada’s Fall 2012 Access West Newsletter. Click here to view the full document.

**Note: this event was previously scheduled to take place in room A1-37. It will now be taking place in the Green Lecture Theatre (GM-43). It is still taking place at RRC’s Notre Dame Campus**
Join Red River College and Smith Carter Architects and Engineers for an objective look at the productivity potentials of Building Information Modeling (BIM).
Multiple organizations, vendors, and other firms have espoused the productivity benefits of BIM. Most advocates claim that productivity will be lost during the initial implementation phase, but only to see a significant longer-term productivity gain and return-on-investment.
Lee McCormick, Principal and Director of Practice with Smith Carter, will lead attendees through an objective and realistic look at the potential productivity benefits and/or pitfalls of BIM, with a focus on real-world versus anecdotal observations – he will be supported by Joe Sam, BIM Manager with Smith Carter.
Together they will answer key questions, including:
·      What is BIM?
·      What observations/evidence exist to support claims of increased productivity?
·      What are the real productivity potentials of BIM?
·      What should you consider when thinking about BIM implementation?
Date: Jan. 30, 2013
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Venue: Green Lecture Theatre (GM-43) – 2055 Notre Dame Ave | Red River College | Winnipeg, Manitoba
Registration limit: Limited to 25 in-person attendees, but unlimited participants can attend via live webcast.
A light lunch will be served for those who attend in person.
Register here for in-person attendance.
Register here for live webcast.
Registration deadline is Tuesday, January 29 at 5:00 p.m.

This event is designed for anyone considering BIM implementation, or is in the early stages of BIM implementation. These include architects, other design professionals, engineers, builders, contractors, developers, educators, and students.
Lee McCormick, a registered architect, has focused his career on design excellence in the building industry for over 20 years. He is currently Smith Carter’s Director of Practice, responsible for developing the firm’s qualitative performance standards for all projects, and works with discipline leaders to ensure the application across the practice. Lee has championed the implementation of BIM into Smith Carter’s delivery process.
 
Joe Sam is the BIM Manager with Smith Carter. He is responsible for CAD/BIM Governance, multidisciplinary training of all staff on BIM (Beginner to Advanced levels of training), and strategic procurement and implementation of BIM applications. Joe was responsible for the successful implementation of BIM at Smith Carter and has extensive experience in software development, systems/business analysis, project management and manufacturing. Over the past 20 years, Joe has been working with various CAD/3D/BIM applications, developing custom software solutions, supporting teams and conducting training sessions.
There is no cost to attend this event, thanks to support from the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program’s Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program, the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council, and the Sustainable Infrastructure Technology Research Group.

The Manitoba Aerospace Association, EnviroTREC and WestCaRD are hosting the Manitoba Aerospace Workshop on January 16 and 17 in Winnipeg. Representatives from the National Research Council Canada, the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Quebec and small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be on hand to discuss the aerospace industry’s future in Manitoba. Topics will include priority technologies, funding recommendations and supply chain development. The workshop is aimed towards technology managers, technology practitioners and business planners from aerospace SMEs. It will also include relevant information for aerospace researchers from academia and government agencies.
Event Info:
January 16 -17, 2013 | 7:30 am – 4 pm both days (breakfast included)
Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites | Winnipeg, MB
1800 Wellington Avenue
No cost to register.
To register, please contact alfonz.koncan@envirotrec.ca. Click here for more information.

Red River College (RRC) invites you to tour its Centre for Aerospace Technology and Training (CATT), an off-site industrial campus located at StandardAero.
Take this opportunity to tour RRC’s Industrial Campus operated in partnership with StandardAero. Located in Plant 5 at StandardAero, this facility highlights a number of new and emerging technologies, including laser welding; robotics and automation; plastic welding and X-ray tomography (2D/3D non-destructive inspection). CATT’s industry-leading equipment will also be on display, including a two-armed robot with 15-degree movement and a rapid-prototype 3D polymer printer.
RRC representatives will be on-hand to answer questions regarding CATT and how your company can take advantage of the facility’s digital technologies to improve your productivity.
Click here to register. Space is limited.
Tour Details
Date: December 6, 2012
Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Location: StandardAero | 1885 Sargent Avenue | Winnipeg, MB | View map
This event is supported by the National Research Council Canada’s Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program (DTAPP).

Manitoba’s next great innovation could be just around the corner – and now is your chance to witness it.
On Wednesday, November 28, Innovate Manitoba is holding PitchDay, a dynamic event where individuals with a business idea (students, researchers, budding or established entrepreneurs) present two-minute pitches to an expert panel of judges and an audience of Winnipeg’s entrepreneurial community. The panel, which includes entrepreneurs, investors and professional service providers, will judge each pitch based on commercial potential and presentation quality.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, PitchDay offers you a chance to connect with Manitoba businesses. Attendees will take in the presentations and enjoy a networking reception with entrepreneurs, capital providers, CEOs, VPs, directors, senior managers, service providers, entrepreneurial support professionals, academic faculty and students.
General admission is $15. For more information on PitchDay, and to register, click here.
Event details
Innovate Manitoba PitchDay
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Hotel Fort Garry | Winnipeg, MB
4:00 pm – 9:00 pm

While some buildings in Manitoba’s harsh climate perform well over time, others experience major problems ranging from high-energy bills to crumbling facades.  Researchers with Red River College (RRC) are aspiring to determine why.

With funding from Manitoba Hydro, RRC will test 20 commercial buildings throughout the Province over the next 16 months for air leakage, a critical factor in a building’s energy use, durability, air quality and comfort.
“It is a significant but essential step to better understand how air leakage affects Manitoba’s commercial buildings,” said Rob Spewak, RRC’s research manager.  “Manitoba Hydro’s support and assistance reinforces the importance of this issue.”
The need for airtightness in buildings was initially seen only as an energy issue, since excessive air leakage can significantly increase heating and cooling costs, but other significant problems can occur.
“Simply put, air leakage can carry large amounts of water vapour into a building’s envelope during Manitoba’s long heating season,” said Spewak. “This can lead to corrosion and rotting of components, destruction of masonry materials, mould growth, and more.”
In response to market demand and public sector green building policies, buildings are being constructed and retrofitted with evermore consideration towards energy efficiency and sustainability.
However, airtightness is rarely tested in these projects.
“We will test a subset of buildings pre- and post-retrofit to determine the feasibility of cost-effective air sealing strategies,” said Harry Schroeder, principal project proponent with Manitoba Hydro.  “This approach will provide valuable feedback on how to improve the design, construction, and operation of commercial buildings.”
While airtightness has been tested thoroughly in Manitoba homes, the province’s commercial buildings have hardly been touched.
“Over 30,000 homes in Manitoba have had their airtightness measured since 1979,” said Ken Klassen, RRC’s Centre for Applied Research in Sustainable Infrastructure (CARSI) research professional. “Meanwhile, less than a dozen commercial buildings have been tested in this province – all of relatively modest size.”
The main reason for this discrepancy is the ease at which homes can be tested, compared to large buildings.
“Testing homes is a pretty modest exercise and the equipment can easily be transported, even in a sub-compact car,” said Klassen.  “For large commercial buildings, the equipment is cumbersome and the testing process is more complex and time-consuming.”
The lack of large building airtightness testing is not unique to Manitoba.  Research conducted in 2011 by the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation identified data for only 192 buildings worldwide.
Air leakage has been gaining notoriety in recent years, primarily in the US, but also in the UK where they have recently established mandatory air leakage testing requirements for most commercial building projects.
“While international research has been done, its relevance to our market is often limited as it is has generally been conducted in regions that are very different from Manitoba’s,” said Klassen.
The research will be conducted with significant RRC student involvement.
“It is an exciting opportunity for students to get hands-on applied research experience in an emerging area of building science, while also learning alongside nationally recognized green building scientists and experts,” said Spewak.
Along with funding and in-kind support from Manitoba Hydro, the project is receiving significant financial support through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council grant that RRC received to conduct research on improving the energy performance of buildings.
To get involved, or for more information on SITRG, please contact:
Rob Spewak
Research Manager, Applied Research & Commercialization, RRC
rspewak@rrc.ca | (204) 632-2357
For background information and photos, visit Air leakage testing of 363 Broadway.

Join Red River College (RRC) and the Industrial Technology Centre (ITC) at the Western Canadian Aviation Museum for a discussion about the latest in robotic systems technology from two leading equipment manufacturers, FANUC Robotics Canada and Lincoln Electric.
Why should Manitoba manufacturers automate and use robotics in their plants? What kind of return on investment can be realized? What has changed in the world of robotics that you might not be aware of? Did you know that many of the robots in operation in Western Canada are welding robots?
If you are considering automation or just want to learn more about robotics, this is the seminar for you. Representatives from FANUC Robotics Canada and Lincoln Electric will be on hand to answer these questions and to explore a number of successful robotic applications that are specifically geared for manufacturers in Manitoba.
FANUC will explore examples such as: robotics with integrated machine vision; CNC load/unload for batch production using vision; various aerospace applications; robotic fiberglass manufacturing; small-batch robotic painting; plastic injection moulding load/unload and post processing; picking/packing/palletizing; simulation CAD to path; successful implementation considerations.
Lincoln will explore answers to the following questions:

• What does it take to implement robotic welding?
• What applications are effective for good welding results (through robotic automation)?
• What are the best ways to work with low, medium and high part volumes?
• What tools are available to resolve tolerance issues on parts (touch sensing, seam tracking, vision)?
• What is the best approach to ROI calculation and risk management?

This seminar is supported by the National Research Council Canada’s Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program (DTAPP).
Event details
Location: 2nd Floor, Western Canadian Aviation Museum | 958 Ferry Road | Winnipeg, MB
Date: Nov. 21, 2012
Time: 7:30 am – 8:00 am (Breakfast) | 8:00 am – 9:45 am (Seminar)
Click here to register online.