STORIES FROM THE PARK 20-21

QLIK AND EXACT PARTNER TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES TAP INTO DATA ANALYTICS

As more workplaces become increasingly data-oriented and automated, Qlik — a Pennsylvania-based business analytics software company with a long-standing presence in Kanata North — is working to bring user-friendly platforms to small and midsized businesses to make this trend accessible to all enterprises.

“We’ve always been focused on giving our customers full mastery of their data, so they can make better informed decisions for their business,” said Jarno van Hurne, global product line director for Exact. “Our combined offering with Qlik can level the playing field (for SMEs) tremendously and significantly enhances the value of offerings we bring to market.”

The partnership comes at a time when the demand for and importance of data analytics is higher than ever. According to a recently released report by Qlik and The Future Labs, business leaders and employees alike predict that data literacy will be the most in-demand skill by 2030. In fact, 85 per cent of executives believe it will become as vital in the future as the ability to use a computer is today.

“We believe data literacy can empower decision makers at all levels of the organization to do great things,” said Francisco Mateo-Sidron, senior vice-president EMEA for Qlik. “Exact adds tremendous value in implementing and training SME users to tap into their data to inform their next decision, just as a data scientist at a Fortune 500 company would.”

When a local initiative like The KNBA’s Hub350 joins forces with a Canadian startup accelerator like Connection Silicon Valley (CSV), you know big things are about to happen.

“We are pleased to announce Hub350’s partnership with Connection Silicon Valley,” said Julia Frame, director

L-SPARK AND BLACKBERRY: POWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CAV INNOVATORS

If Kanata North wants to continue leading the pack in developing connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology, it’s going to take a village to build it.

That’s why L-SPARK and BlackBerry are welcoming a third cohort of Canadian tech companies into the Connected Car Accelerator Program they co-founded in 2018, a “joint accelerator program which aims to grow Canadian technology companies focused on connected vehicle technologies.”

This year’s cohort includes Raven Connected, Wedge Networks, Deeplite and Sensor Cortek.

These four companies were selected from 25 applicants and will receive $50,000 in matched funding through the program’s partnership with the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), in addition to access to BlackBerry’s intelligent vehicle data platform, BlackBerry IVY.

“The four companies selected for this very special BlackBerry IVY focused accelerator program with L-SPARK represent the very best of the Canadian smart mobility ecosystem,” said Peter Virk, vice-president of IVY Product and Ecosystem, BlackBerry. Two of the four are returning and two are newcomers. Together their tech includes video telematics, cybersecurity, neural networks, and an “AI inference optimization platform.”

“The BlackBerry L-SPARK Accelerator has not only propelled connected vehicle technology forward, but has also paved the way for collaboration and partnership between the participating companies and BlackBerry,” said Leo Lax, executive managing director at L-SPARK. “We are thrilled to be at the forefront of innovation in the connected vehicle technology space alongside the incredible team at BlackBerry for the third consecutive year.”

PROMOTING OTTAWA’S TECH SECTOR IN SILICON VALLEY

of partnerships at KNBA. “Their experience and ties within the tech ecosystem will help propel Hub350 and the Kanata North tech hub onto a global stage.”

The shared purpose and mandate of CSV and Hub350 makes their partnership a natural one. CSV also supports female founders from across Canada by connecting them with their Silicon Valley network of investors, mentors and executives through the Canadian Women’s Network (CWN), a priority for the KNBA as well.

“The thought of approaching Silicon Valley can often feel overwhelming and founders don’t know where to begin. Through the programs we run and online community, we help founders access the U.S. market for business development, fundraising, potential clients, and other key business connections,” says CSV founder, Joanne Fedeyko.

WHY ROSS VIDEO HELPED SAVE A HERITAGE BUILDING IN IROQUOIS, ONTARIO

Despite being one of the few pieces of history left after the St. Lawrence Seaway was built in the 1950s, Forward House – a historic stone building built in the early 1800s – was slated for demolition in 2016.

That’s where Ross Video comes in.

More than 200 years later in the same vicinity, Kanata North tech company Ross Video broke ground on a $15 million factory expansion that will step up production of their live broadcasting video components.

Due to the company’s commitment to the community, the life and times of Forward House is now linked across two centuries by two intrepid engineers. Canal planner A.E. Forward claimed Forward House as his own – and now computer engineer David Ross just helped save it from destruction.

After Forward House was slated for demolition, the local historical society stepped up with a petition and a plan to save it. Ross answered the call for donations from Steven Campbell of the Historical Society of South Dundas (HSSD) with a contribution of $10,000.

So why does Ross Video care about a crumbling old building in a small Ontario town? It’s not just because the company manufactures its components there. Ross considers Iroquois his childhood home, which is why he also donated $30,000 of IT equipment when the local highschool was slated to be closed.

“Whatever we contribute in Ottawa goes into a big pool. But we can do a lot in a small town like Iroquois,” said Jeff Poapst, chief manufacturing and services officer for Ross Video. “It’s a relationship between a company and the citizens who benefit from our company being here.”

WESLEY CLOVER TO BUILD 30-STOREY MIXED-USE TOWER IN THE HEART OF KANATA NORTH

Kanata North’s bid to transform into a more vibrant mixed-use district took another step forward when city council approved Wesley Clover International’s plan to build a 30-storey tower with more than 250 rental apartment units and a restaurant attached to the Brookstreet Hotel.

The investment firm backed by billionaire tech magnate Terry Matthews says it hopes to start construction on the project, which has an estimated price tag of at least $120 million, in fall 2022. The company expects the first tenants to occupy the building in August 2025.

The proposal calls for 253 units in a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The upper units will be targeted at groups such as retirees looking for a “turnkey, full-service luxury-style apartment” with a la carte service from the hotel as well as tech workers who want to live close to the office.

Among its list of five-star features will be a rooftop pool and a 150-seat restaurant on the 28th floor that will include meeting and banquet space. Other luxury touches include a fitness facility with a golf simulator and a pet washing station. The main floor will also be home to 2,000 square feet of co-working space.

The new highrise will be located on a 1.7-acre parcel of land just northeast of the Brookstreet on Legget Drive. It will be built as an extension to the existing hotel, wrapping around the parking structure and adjacent to the stormwater pond. Two levels of underground parking attached to the current lot will have spaces for 111 residents’ vehicles and 128 bicycle racks.