The Kamloops Innovation Centre on Tranquille Road in North Kamloops. (Photo via Google Maps)
The Kamloops Innovation Centre will be moving to a new location at Thompson Rivers University later this month.
The non-profit which aims to support the development and application of technology in the North Thompson and South Cariboo by supporting businesses, entrepreneurs, and organizations has been in its Tranquille Road location in North Kamloops since 2012.
TRU says the Kamloops Innovation Centre will move into a small amount of office space on the top floor of the Clock Tower. That location is a short walk to the existing TRU Generator – an on-campus accelerator jointly operated by TRU and KIC that supports students, faculty, staff, and alumni with mentorship, workshops, and events.
“Our community of students, faculty, staff and alumni will benefit even more greatly with Kamloops Innovation being located on the Kamloops campus,” Kamloops Innovation Board Chair, and TRU Dean of the Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics, Mike Henry, said, Monday.
“The move strengthens our partnership with Kamloops Innovation and ultimately brings more support and resources to our campus community.”
The announcement of the move comes days after the Kamloops Innovation Centre said it had appointed Michael Andrews as its new executive director. Andrews replaces Dr. Lincoln Smith, the non-profit’s founding executive director, who left the position in January after nearly a decade.
“Being centrally located on TRU’s Kamloops campus is a great fit for Kamloops Innovation since over 80 per cent of the people we work with are connected to TRU,” Andrews added.
“Our close proximity to the innovative ideas and the faculties that can benefit will increase the opportunities for new partnerships in innovation and entrepreneurship.”
The Kamloops Innovation Centre is one of 11 accelerators that are part of Innovate BC’s Venture Acceleration program.
“The support we receive from a province-wide network of partners and entrepreneurs will directly benefit those with the innovative ideas and the researchers who can benefit from them,” Henry said.
