When 31-year-old Jason Deglint was completing his PhD in systems design engineering at University of Waterloo, he decided to tackle a problem that costs an estimated $2 billion in damages and losses in the aquaculture industry: the harmful algae blooms that kill fish.
Deglint dedicated his thesis research to developing a smart, low-cost prototype imaging system to analyze samples in the lab. With support from the Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur program, his efforts resulted in the creation of Blue Lion Labs, a new small business based in Waterloo, Ontario.
When your business relies on a natural habitat, your number one priority is protecting it. For John Grace and his family — owners and operators of the world-class Old Post Lodge on Northwestern Ontario’s Lake St. Joseph — conservation has been an important part of the corporate vision from day one.
In the last couple of years, Canada’s Atlantic salmon farms have faced a surge of parasitic sea lice, making them susceptible to infections or killing entire stocks. Globally, the spread of sea lice now costs up to $1 billion dollars in lost revenues annually.
This summer, Globalink intern Piyush Rai is working alongside Dr. Normand Bergeron at Université INRS to better understand how improved culvert design can positively impact the migration and survival of Atlantic salmon.
Having developed key relationships and a trail platform with the seafood industry across the country, Ecotrust Canada was ready to launch Thisfish as a full, social-purpose venture. Simon Fraser University student George Chatzivasileiou undertook a Mitacs Accelerate internship to conduct industry research and contributing to key aspects of the business plan.
Join a thriving innovation ecosystem. Subscribe now
