Hoping to do for urban energy what its Digital Media Zone did digital media, Ryerson University last week launched the Innovation Centre for Urban Energy (i-CUE), a business incubator and accelerator focused on urban energy.
Housed within Ryerson’s Centre for Urban Energy (CUE), i-CUE is focused on applied research in collaboration with industry, entrepreneurship and student innovation through experiential learning within the energy sector, with the goal of helping new energy companies commercialize their ideas.
“The Centre for Urban Energy has been successful in conducting high-profile research for many industry partners. Now, with the launch of the i-CUE, it adds the element of innovation,” said Bala Venkatesh, CUE’s academic director, in a statement. “We need both research and innovation together in order to solve urban energy issues.”
Added Ryerson president Sheldon Levy: ““The i-CUE is another successful example of Ryerson’s ‘zone’ model. Instead of a co-op model where students work for someone else, the i-CUE gives entrepreneurial education through support, mentorship and collaborative learning, the opportunity to start their own company in the energy sector.”
Brian Millar and Josh Tzventarny of Plug’n Drive Ontario.
Four companies are currently being incubated/accelerated within iCue:
Energy Savers: A student-led, not-for-profit social enterprise, its mission is to help Torontonians save on their costs by educating them on the value of energy conservation and empowering them to take advantage of other existing opportunities through energy-saving home retrofits.
Plug’n Drive Ontario: A not-for profit organization dedicated to creating public awareness and promoting the environmental and economic benefits of electric vehicles within the province.
DanTeb: This company is creating battery charging stations for smartphones, tablets and other devices that can be placed in high-traffic, public places where people don’t have immediate access to a charge. A typical charging session lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and the users are able to interact with the digital media components of the stations or simply continue to use their phone while charging.
Grid Resources: This company is commercializing a combined heat and power concept that will maximize the value of distributed energy for its clients.
Source | Centre for Urban Energy