The University of British Columbia
UBC - A Place of Mind
The University of British Columbia
Office of the President
  • The President
    • About the President
    • The President’s Medal of Excellence
      • 2018 Recipients
      • 2019 Recipients
  • The Office
    • President’s Office Staff
    • Past Presidents
    • Ombudsperson for Students Office Review 2018-19
    • COVID -19 Workspace Safety Plan
  • Communications
    • Articles
    • Blog
    • The Blue and Goldcast
    • Letter to the Board
    • Media: Santa in the News
    • President’s Newsletter (Letter from Santa)
    • #Songs of Comfort
    • Speeches & Announcements
    • Statements to the University Community
    • Weekly Updates
    • Videos/Audio
  • Strategic Initiatives
    • UBC’s Strategic Plan
    • President’s Community-University Roundtables
    • Statement of Apology
    • Together Against Racism and Injustice
    • UBC Connects
  • Contact Us
    • Meeting Request Form
    • Breakfast with the President request
    • Email the President
    • Speech or Video Request Form
Home / Blog / 2018 / May / 09 / Introducing Innovation UBC

Introducing Innovation UBC

May 9, 2018

Innovation is a key theme woven throughout UBC’s new strategic plan. Along with collaboration and inclusion, it’s one of three cross-cutting priorities that will enhance our institutional impact in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

Truth is, innovation isn’t a new concept at UBC; we’ve been innovating for more than a century.  One key form of innovation at UBC is the process by which our research discoveries and bold thinking create positive social and economic impacts. UBC research has benefitted the world in so many ways, from ensuring sustainable use of coastal marine ecosystems to developing the gold standard in image recognition software; from devising composite materials used in commercial aircraft to treating HIV/AIDS.

We have a solid track record when it comes to advancing key industry sectors in British Columbia and Canada. We generate significant social and economic impacts through our research activities, and we have an enviable record when it comes to commercialization—more than 200 spin-off companies, 450 current licensing agreements, and $11.5 billion in sales of products using UBC discoveries.

An example of UBC innovation, Arbutus Medical was born out of collaboration between biomedical engineers at the University of British Columbia and surgeons from Canada and Uganda.

But what is new is the way UBC is expanding and formalizing its commitment to this form of innovation by extending and improving the pathways that transform research, partnerships and entrepreneurial activities into impactful products, practices, treatments and policies. It’s got a new name too: Innovation UBC.

I invite you to learn more about Innovation UBC at https://innovation.ubc.ca. There, you’ll read about our new innovation hubs in downtown Vancouver and Kelowna, designed to provide a welcoming “front door” for partners to engage with UBC, as well as space and facilities to support our new ventures. Please join us at upcoming events to formally launch these spaces — you’ll find all the details at https://innovation.ubc.ca/hubs-launch.

You’ll also find information about UBC’s participation in the 3rd #BCTECH summit on May 14-16 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. This popular event brings together university, industry and government partners working in the tech space. This year UBC will have an even larger presence that includes Innovation UBC and highlights our new ventures, our contributions of talent to the tech economy, and 18 research projects that could underpin the next generation of tech innovations in BC.  Follow UBC at the #BCTECH Summit at https://innovation.ubc.ca/bctech-summit.

Latest Updates

  • Congratulations to UBC’s Killam Professors
  • Episode 14: Fostering Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UBC
  • Statement from the President
  • UBC’s response to sentencing of alumna Loujain Al-Hathloul
  • Securing a “sustainable tomorrow”: How Servant Leadership strengthens UBC
Follow Santa Ono on social media

Previous Posts

  • Congratulations to UBC’s Killam Professors
  • UBC’s response to sentencing of alumna Loujain Al-Hathloul
  • Holiday Greetings
  • Update on UBC’s Evolving Relationship with the RCMP
  • Weekly Update, December 11, 2020
  • Update: Extending the SkyTrain to UBC
  • Weekly Update, December 4, 2020
  • Weekly Update, November 26, 2020
  • Weekly Update, November 20, 2020
  • Weekly Update, November 13, 2020
  • Weekly Update, November 6, 2020
  • Weekly Update: October 30, 2020
  • Weekly Update: October 23, 2020
  • Weekly Update: October 16, 2020
  • Weekly Update: October 2, 2020
  • Voting in the 2020 BC Provincial Election 
  • Weekly Update: September 25, 2020
  • Weekly Update: September 21, 2020
  • Welcome Back to the Blue & Goldcast!
  • Weekly Update: September 14, 2020
  • Weekly Update, August 28: Welcome New Students
  • Looking Forward to the Next Five Years
  • Statement on National Indigenous Peoples Day
  • Welcome to Steven Lewis Point; Farewell to Lindsay Gordon
  • Touring Brent Sparrow’s ʔəlqsən art installation
  • Guest Post: Working in the President’s Office
  • COVID-19: UBC and the Community
  • COVID-19: A Message to International Students
  • A Message to Students: The importance of physical distancing
  • Repatriating Cultural Property: A Priority for UBC
  • UBC: Among the Best in the World
  • Choose to Reuse
  • UBC launches Iranian Student Memorial Award
  • Looking Back on 2019
  • Happy Holidays from Santa
  • Honour the École Polytechnique Women by Learning About Them
  • UBC funding to foster collaborations in research excellence
  • Remembrance Day Reflections: We Owe Our Veterans So Much
  • Thriving at UBC
  • Election 2019: Why your voice matters
  • Presidential Priorities for 2019-20
  • UBC: The Next Century – the book!
  • Putting Students First with the Blue & Gold Campaign
  • U7 Alliance will Address the World’s Most Pressing Challenges
  • UBC’s Next Century: An update on the strategic plan
  • The President’s Medal of Excellence: 2019 Recipients
  • Changing My Mind: Margaret Trudeau on Mental Health
  • “Never lose that sense of adventure, that sense of wonder”
  • Blue and Goldcast: Talking about GenSqueeze
  • Three Takeways from the Roundtable on Non-Market Housing Innovation
  • Shaping UBC Okanagan’s Future
  • Congress 2019: Canada’s biggest academic conference is coming to UBC
  • UBC gets global recognition for sustainability impact
  • What Music Means to Me
  • Annual Giving – Faculty & Staff Appeal
  • Raising the Musqueam Flag: Acknowledging the past, recognizing our future responsibilities
  • UBC Connects: Connecting UBC to the community
  • Take the Cool Campus Challenge
  • Strategic Plan funding focuses on Indigenous, cross-campus initiatives
  • UBC’s Emeritus College is the first of its kind in Canada
  • Holiday Reflections: Honouring our commitments
  • So that the guns will fall silent forever
  • Thrive Week at UBC
  • His Highness the Aga Khan: An inspiration to us all
  • Shaping UBC’s Next Century: An update on the strategic plan
  • Listen Up, it’s the Blue & Goldcast!
  • Welcome to UBC!
  • Looking ahead to 2018-19
  • Stadium Neighbourhood: developing a thriving and sustainable community
  • Be a tourist at UBC this summer!
  • UBC: Proud to be a Pacific Rim university
  • The President’s Medal of Excellence: “A significant contribution to the purposes and ideals of the university”
  • Residential Schools: Breaking the Silence
  • Graduation: Sharing the Pride and Joy
  • Taking the SkyTrain to UBC
  • Continuing the journey: UBC’s strategic plan
  • Life is a marathon, not a sprint
  • The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre: Fulfilling a Promise
  • Building a more inclusive campus community
  • Budget 2018: A clear recognition of the value of Canada’s science and research community
  • Digital Technology Supercluster means exciting opportunities for UBC, now and in the future
  • Inspire: “This is our moment”
  • Getting closer to where you want to be
  • Looking back on 2017, looking forward to 2018
  • The Blue & Gold campaign: Change their world so they can change ours
  • Going global: Our future depends on it
  • Building a better Canada
  • Overcoming the stigma of mental illness
  • UBC’s Next Century — the next phase of engagement
  • Supporting the dreamers
  • Imagine UBC 2017
  • Looking ahead to 2017-18
  • Summer at UBC
  • Exercise Run Down: Keeping the UBC community safe
  • Thank you, faculty and staff: you make UBC special
  • In a time of global uncertainty, innovation is more important than ever
  • Tokyo trip lays building blocks for future engagement with Japan
  • Graduation: The next stage in a remarkable journey
  • Exam anxiety? UBC can help
  • We cannot change the past, but we can honestly recognize it
  • UBC’s Next Century: Have your say
  • The Learning Exchange: Engaging UBC with the Downtown Eastside
  • Using data for social good: Announcing the Cascade Urban Analytics Cooperative
  • Update on Presidential Task Force
  • An innovative start to the Year of the Rooster
  • UBC’s Next Century: Moving from Excellence to Eminence
  • UBC’s Next Century
  • UBC’s Strategic Plan – seeking your input
  • A time for reflection
  • Office of the President
    7th Floor, Walter C. Koerner Library
    1958 Main Mall
    Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z2
    Website president.ubc.ca
    Email presidents.office@ubc.ca
    Find us on
        
    Back to top
    The University of British Columbia
    • Emergency Procedures |
    • Terms of Use |
    • Copyright |
    • Accessibility