Volta Labs in Halifax has announced its plan to increase corporate innovation in Atlantic Canada with its new Corporate Membership Program.

The program is designed to connect corporations and large organizations with the talent and the culture of innovation found at the startup house, and vice-versa.

This announcement comes as Volta prepares to officially open its new 60,000 square foot space in the Maritime Centre on Barrington Street.

“Volta is not just for startups anymore,” said Chris Crowell, Volta’s VP of Corporate Innovation in an interview.

“It’s an innovation hub where larger organizations and corporations can develop the mindset and methodology needed to innovate.”

Volta now offers four corporate membership packages that are designed to suit the needs of different sized companies. The packages cost between $2500 and $10,000 a year, depending on the needs of the organization.

The packages are categorized as Innovator, Builder, Supporter and Out-of-Towner. Crowell is especially excited about the out-of-towner bundle because of its potential to bring organizations from cities like Toronto and Kitchener into the innovation hub.

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“That’s designed for larger companies who want to dip their toes in Atlantic Canada” said Crowell. “It's a way for them to figure out how they can be a part of the growth story we have here.”

Corporate membership benefits include network memberships for employees (which cost $10 per month or $100 a year), tickets to events like the Volta Cohort, complementary and discounted skill development and learning opportunities, as well as an education program and advisor to act as the Corporate Member’s dedicated account manager.

To foster greater corporate innovation, Volta established its first innovation outpost with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation in 2016. The outpost strategy is to encourage a symbiotic relationship between innovation-based startups and large organizations.

Crowell, who started with Volta in February, said large corporations need to connect themselves with startups in order to continue company growth. He thinks the startup ecosystem offers a rapid and adaptable pace that some large companies can no longer achieve due to size and internal politics.

In a statement Crowell said:  "Volta’s Corporate Membership packages offer a lot of value for companies in our business community. They provide a way to engage with startups, experience the high growth capacity of our ecosystem, and develop the methodologies and mindsets needed to innovate. We have companies from Toronto, Ottawa and elsewhere looking towards Atlantic Canada to see where there are opportunities for them here.”

The statement also said that discounts on Corporate Membership packages will be available for Volta Alumni companies, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations.