Fredericton is developing a system for streamlining the provision of entrepreneurial services that will also lead to the collection of valuable data, says Larry Shaw, leader of the Fredericton Startup Network Taskforce.

The task force, composed of nearly 20 of the city’s stakeholders, a year ago began debating how to make a smooth and efficient ‘subway’ model for service provision.

Task force members are collaborating to align services and programs around four key stages: ideation; validation; growth and maturity.

“We see the services and programs being delivered as an ecosystem,” said Shaw, who is also CEO of Ignite Fredericton, the city’s economic development agency, and Knowledge Park, New Brunswick’s research and technology park.

“We’re learning what types of programs work, how to modify them . . . Partnering with key stakeholders in the region we can share resources, provide flexibility in physical workspaces, and reach more startup entrepreneurs.”

Shaw said data on the startup community will be analyzed more easily when community partners come together under an agreed model.

“How many startups are there in Fredericton?” he asked. “No one knows the real number . . . Imagine if we knew there were 96 startups, 50 of them at the ideation stage. Then ask, how many of those 50 companies have used services provided by business incubator Planet Hatch, or other partners?

“Answer these questions and the data starts to provide insights as to the services we may need to add.” Shaw thinks developing programming in “tracks” will allow the “subway” model to be aligned across Atlantic Canada.

“At the moment, funding agencies will sometimes fund the same programs across the region. If our ecosystem shares programs we can reach more entrepreneurs and limited funding dollars will go dramatically further,” he said.

Benefits may include offering programming in smaller regions.

Shaw said Ignite Fredericton, Planet Hatch and Knowledge Park are already managed as one organization to provide services for entrepreneurs at the ideation, validation, growth, and mature stages.

Planet Hatch also hosts activities run by other groups. The local Chamber of Commerce runs its Business Immigrant Mentorship Program from the Hive, located in Planet Hatch, Shaw said.

Planet Hatch has partnered with the Business Faculty at the University of New Brunswick to build an experiential learning program that will allow senior business students to obtain work experience with Planet Hatch-based startups.

Shaw, a Fredericton native, returned to the city five years ago. He began his career with NBTel in sales, then worked around the world for various companies in diverse roles. He is currently president of the national network of Research and Technology Parks, a position which gives him insight into how the collaborative subway concept could be expanded.

“Building a network, we could use the same model across Canada. For example, Atlantic Canadian companies could use the MaRS innovation hub as their home base when in Toronto,” he said.

“The subway model will enrich and improve the journey of startup entrepreneurs. It will get companies to success more quickly and create more jobs . . .”

According to Shaw, about 13 startups went through accelerators in Fredericton during 2016. Another 40 companies didn’t get the chance to participate in accelerators, despite having the same needs.

“We can provide the necessary programs and services if we work collaboratively,” he said.

“About 200 jobs were created by those 40 companies. There will always be companies that have hockey-stick growth patterns (companies that grow spectacularly fast), but the other companies are also important to the overall economic development of the region.

“We need to make accelerator-type programming available to a broader audience.”