Not since the high technology boom in the late 1990s has the Communications Research Centre's (CRC) Innovation Centre been bursting at the seams. The start of 2010 sees the Centre once again filled to capacity as technology start-ups in the communications field capitalize on what the facility has to offer: access to cutting-edge technologies, R&D expertise and world-class facilities.

To qualify as an Innovation Centre client a company must first receive a letter of endorsement from a CRC research group to underwrite their residency in the program. As a prerequisite, CRC must establish that there is R&D interest in following the company's work if the company requires access to CRC's unique laboratory facilities and expertise of a research team.

Kevin Shackell of CRC's Technology Transfer Office has managed the Innovation Centre since 2008. He notices that most companies are starting smaller and not growing as quickly. Lack of venture capital has created a trend toward "micro" companies which are largely bootstrapped by private funding and customer cash flow. This new reality of the marketplace has prompted CRC to reconfigure the total space (just under 750 m2 or 8000 ft.2) to accommodate smaller companies that only want to lease smaller office and lab spaces of 100 to 300 ft.2 to start out. A cross-section of the companies is profiled below.

Innovation Centre Clients

Protecode's expertise is in tracking code - whether it be third party, internal or open source - to assist clients in determining if and where others are using their code or vise-versa, thus providing clients with an efficient way to manage compliance. CRC's Advanced Radio Systems group, research sponsor of Protecode, worked with the beta version of the company's software to test it.

"The Software Defined Radio project of CRC's Advanced Radio group has a technology leadership position, witnessed by the wide distribution of its software code to government, commercial and academic organizations worldwide," says Mahshad Koohgoli, CEO of Protecode. "Protecode's Intellectual Property Management solutions ensure clarity of IP ownership, and awareness of licensing and copyright obligations, in the sophisticated applications created by CRC's Advanced Radio Group."

A recent addition, Indusface Consulting specializes in information security services, from assessing client needs, to identifying vulnerabilities and providing tools to manage threats. Indusface Consulting is sponsored by CRC's Network Systems group, which researches network security threats.

"Their ‘security from the cloud' approach to Web security assessment is of interest to us," says CRC's Mathieu Couture, network security researcher. "Having a group of experts on the subject in close proximity can bring an interesting complement to certain aspects of our research."

Vital Alert is the only company licensed to use patented "through-the-earth" communications technology, which employs very low frequency (2-4 kHZ) electromagnetic waves to enable wireless communication in tunnels, underground sewage pipes, mines and similar difficult environments. Vital Alert is working with CRC researchers who developed communications techniques for mine rescue communications.

"Very low frequency communication presents some very difficult engineering problems," says Vital Alert's Heather Simmons. "We look forward to working with the top notch scientists at the CRC to solve these inherent distance, bandwidth and weight issues."

Gain Microwave specializes in the design of high performance gallium nitride (GaN) electronic components. Gallium nitride is a wide bandgap, compound semiconductor, with a number of inherent material properties that make it very attractive for designing and manufacturing high performance, robust, electronic components. Gain Microwave's GaN devices and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) are ideally suited for application in the wireless infrastructure, space, aerospace and military sectors.

According to Gain Microwave, the value of CRC is threefold: knowledge, capability and infrastructure. On the knowledge and capability front, CRC's expertise spans the spectrum from advanced components to leading-edge system and network applications. On the practical level, Gain has benefited from access to CRC's expertise in RF components and systems, RF test and measurement capability, and comprehensive prototyping capabilities. CRC's Integrated Electronics Research group, led by Valek Szwarc, sponsors Gain's residency in the Innovation Centre.

The newest resident, GSTS is licensing elements of Spectrum Explorer®, CRC's suite of radio frequency spectrum monitoring and surveillance technologies that help ensure reliable communications. GSTS will be integrating some Spectrum Explorer® technology into a commercial product offering the company is in the very early stages of developing.

Since its inception in 1994, the CRC Innovation Centre has hosted over 50 companies, commercialized many CRC technologies and helped fuel SME innovation in Canada's information and communications technology sector.

For more information contact Kevin Shackell at 613-998-0138 or at kevin.shackell@crc.gc.ca.