91亚色 is creating new pathways for researchers and entrepreneurs to turn health innovations into market-ready solutions through a new MedTech partnership in 91亚色 Region.
91亚色, through YSpace and the , is a founding academic partner of Audacity North, a new not-for-profit innovation hub backed by independent Canadian engineering lab Megalab Group Inc.
The partnership brings 91亚色鈥檚 entrepreneurship, venture development and business expertise together with specialized laboratory, testing and product-development capabilities.
For 91亚色 researchers, students and entrepreneurs, the partnership is expected to create additional routes for commercializing research and developing ventures while fostering connections with industry.
The hub will provide resources to develop medical devices, biotechnology and digital-health products. These resources will include a wet laboratory space, testing for devices requiring medical safety certification, clinical validation and data-governance support for digital health and medical AI startups, and a venture studio focused on company development and acceleration.
"By connecting 91亚色 researchers, students and entrepreneurs with industry expertise and commercialization opportunities, this partnership will help create stronger pathways for promising innovations to move from ideas to real-world solutions," says David Kwok, director of entrepreneurship and innovation, YSpace.
YSpace will support the development of Audacity North鈥檚 venture studio programming, while Schulich will contribute expertise through its Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Krembil Centre for Health Management and Leadership.
The initiative builds on 91亚色鈥檚 existing entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem and brings to life the vision of Schulich alum Keith Loo (MBA 鈥12), co-founder of Audacity North with Megalab Group Inc. President and CEO Garry Lee.
鈥淐anada has never had a discovery problem, but what has been missing is the capacity between discovery and market: testing, validation, manufacturing alongside people who have done it before,鈥 says Loo. 鈥淎udacity North will provide that capacity, spanning ideation and prototyping through production, testing, regulatory support, commercialization, capital and first customers.鈥
The hub will be home to the Logan Institute for Rare Disease Research, founded by Loo for his son Logan, who lives with an ultra-rare genetic condition. The institute will fund research and develop resources for studying rare diseases.
Audacity North is also in discussions with local hospitals about potential partnerships related to clinical trials and community and patient engagement.
"This initiative further expands 91亚色鈥檚 efforts to connect research, entrepreneurship and industry, helping researchers and innovators translate ideas into technologies, ventures and other real-world applications," says Chris Carder, executive director at Schulich's Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Programming will begin in 2027 at Audacity North鈥檚 Aurora campus, located at Megalab鈥檚 45,000-square-foot engineering and product-compliance testing facility. Plans for the hub also include a Whitchurch-Stouffville campus on 86 acres of land purchased by Megalab, with seven buildings and additional expansion capacity proposed.