Collide, an initiative that provides entrepreneurship programming for students, is being rolled out across Atlantic Canada following a year-long pilot project. 

Collide was developed at Dalhousie University to mirror the national research commercialization accelerator Lab2Market which is designed for graduate students and faculty looking to commercialize their research.

Similarly, Collide fosters a culture of innovation and supports students launching ventures of all kinds, from creating social impact through filmmaking to designing apparel using high-performance fabrics. Collide is open to students of all disciplines and they can sign up at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey.

“I had this idea and the Collide program was there to accelerate the process of creating a product and launching a business,” said Eddie Cobbold in a press release. Cobbold founded Pucktive after participating in the Collide Discover, Validate, and Launch phases piloted at Dalhousie University.

Pucktive develops skate cut-resistant under gear for hockey players and has launched an online store.

Alice Aiken, Dal's vice-president of research and innovation, said today’s students have an intense desire to identify and solve real-world problems. 

“Collide is a launchpad for students across all academic disciplines to embrace innovation and develop essential entrepreneurship skills necessary for turning ideas into impactful ventures,” Aiken said.

“The skills learned in Collide are invaluable for a range of careers, whether launching a startup or innovating within an organization,” added Jeff Larsen, assistant vice-president of innovation and entrepreneurship at Dalhousie.

To date, Collide programming is available at: Dalhousie University; Mount Allison University; Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) and University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI).

Collide programs are also offered directly to students through Dal Innovates, working in partnership with Cape Breton University (CBU), Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD), Saint Mary’s University (SMU) and the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED).

In the press release, the group said Dal Innovates was formed in 2020. Since then, over 900 students and faculty from 25 universities across Canada have participated. Alumni have gone on to raise $19 million in private and public funding.

Collide is funded by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.