TechConnect is the place to be seen

So often in my travels to various Tech. Transfer offices across Canada I am confronted with one variant or another of these two questions : "Amongst the folks you know, who is going to Meeting X?" and a corollary question "With limited budgets for travel which meeting is the one that one shouldn't miss?"

I thought that I would pose this question of one of the shops I regard as very successful in the business of commercializing the technologies of the institutions it serves during my recent trip to Montreal. The Univalor folks had one unequivocal response : TECH CONNECT was the place to be seen. They have been participating in this conference for the past four years now and felt that it attracted the companies that TTOs want to be known to, namely the companies INTERESTED in early stage technologies (yes they really are out there!).

This year in an open competition ten technologies of theirs (5 Life Sciences and 5 non) were selected to be presented. Given that the total number of technologies selected from North America was something like 90 this is impressive. By comparison the other TTOs in
Canada stacked up as follows: Waterloo 1, Laval 1, and UBC 4 THAT'S IT! This year Tech Connect will be in Boston (June 3 to 5) Next year it will be in san Diego.

Who knew!!