Venn Innovation is looking for applicants for the next cohort of its month-long competitive intelligence workshop led by Jonathan Calof.

Venn, which supports innovation businesses, is offering the course at its Moncton headquarters with the goal of helping companies assess their competitive marketplace. This will be the sixth time that the startup house has offered the program.

Competitive intelligence is the study of external factors that can determine success or failure for a company – in this case, a startup. A CI strategy will consider the medium- to long-term direction of technology, pending government regulation, competitors’ patent filings and the buzz around what competitors are planning. The idea is that a company should try to understand what the world will look like in three to five years – which in many cases is when a startup would be releasing its product.

Calof teaches CI strategy around the world but he’s developed a certain affinity for Atlantic Canada. He’s worked with the Technology, Management and Entrepreneurship program at University of New Brunswick in addition to his work with Venn.

The cohort, which includes instruction from Venn’s Program Manager Jonathan Dunnett, begins on Feb 4. You can purchase tickets here.