Four companies or organizations were recognized for their leadership in innovation in New Brunswick on Thursday, receiving Kira awards at the 20th annual presentation of the awards.
The Kiras, which recognize success in New Brunswick’s knowledge industry, were held as planned even though the St. John River was rising to record levels within sight of the Fredericton Convention Centre. New Brunswickers this week are talking of little else, but it did little to dampen the enthusiasm at the gala.
The organizers also announced that Ignite Fredericton, which has organized the awards for the past two decades, will hand the oversight of the Kiras over to the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation in future years. NBIF already hosts major celebrations of innovation on alternating years: R3 recognizes leading researchers; and Breakthru is a competition for the leading new startups in the province.
NBIF Chair Cathy Simpson said after the dinner that her organization still has to decide whether the Kira galas from on will be blended with the R3 or Breakthru events, or whether there will continue to be two innovation events each year.
Here are the 2018 Kira Winners:
Innovation Champion Award:
The Fredericton-based group is the association of life sciences innovation in New Brunswick and now works with more than 40 companies. In accepting the award, Executive Director Meaghan Seagrave said biotech grows out of the province’s traditional industries and called for greater cooperation among the various sectors in innovation. “Life Sciences can’t exist without IT,” she said. “And IT can’t exist without our traditional industries.”
Most Innovative Product or Service:
Based in Malden in South-Eastern New Brunswick, Blue Roof makes premium vodka using potatoes that would otherwise be discarded as waste. The company grew at a farm that has belonged to six generations of the Strang family, dating back to 1855. Head distiller Devon Strang said Blue Roof produces vodka – and more recently gin – of the highest quality and purity, and provides a locally made and superior product compared with the mass-market “water mixers”.
Most Innovative Startup:
Fredericton’s SomaDetect has developed hardware and software for dairy farmers. Its technology scans raw milk with a laser beam, scanning the fat content and somatic cell count as each cow is milked. This provides data that can point to the presence of mastitis, an udder disease, as well as measure the quality of the milk. In accepting the award, Director of Deep Learning Bharath Sudarsan thanked a range of supporters and partners, singling out New Brunswick’s farmers. “They have taught us everything we know,” he said.
Premier’s Award for Innovation:
Treasury Board, Government of New Brunswick
The Treasury Board is overseeing the provincial government’s efforts to digitize all government services. The government recently unveiled a five-year digital strategy that would allow residents to access information and government services from mobile devices. The province aims to provide New Brunswickers with digital ID cards, consolidating information from such documents as their drivers’ licenses, Medicare and hunting or fishing permits.
The winner of the People’s Choice Award, voted on by people attending the dinner, was Family Medicine New Brunswick.
