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Dr. Thierry Chopin

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New Brunswick Innovation Foundation honours 3 bio-science researchers at its 2010 R3 Gala

March 19, 2010
Fredericton, NB - Nearly four hundred persons were in attendance at the high-energy R3 (Research, Results, Recognition) Gala hosted by the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) and its partners. The Gala paid tribute to three New Brunswick researchers who are working on innovative technologies, and included remarks from New Brunswick premier Shawn Graham, and an animated presentation by the renowned Californian entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki.

Guy Kawasaki, Thierry Chopin, Suzanne Currie and Yahia Djaoued before receiving their honours at the R3 Gala 2010.

The three honourees work primarily in the marine biosciences.

• Dr. Suzanne Currie, a biology professor at Mount Allison University, is researching the effects of fluctuating ocean conditions on marine life, and her team is doing pioneering work on identifying fish specific antibodies for stress in fish.
• Universitè de Moncton Shippigan campus chemist Dr. Yahia Djaoued is leading work to turn a coveted shrimp extract, astaxanthin, often used in salmon and trout feed, into a dietary supplement safe for human consumption.
• Dr. Thierry Chopin, a marine biologist at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, has done ground-breaking work on integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), a technique which recreates a more natural ecosystem within fish farms, by incorporating seaweeds, suspension-feeders (such as mussels), and deposit-feeders (such as sea urchins, sea cucumbers and sea worms) into the farming "ecosystem".

Guy Kawasaki, Thierry Chopin, Honorable Shawn Graham, Premier of New Brunswick, Suzanne Currie and Yahia Djaoued before receiving their honours at the R3 Gala 2010.

The marine biosciences cluster is New Brunswick's largest biosciences cluster, employing at least 425 highly-qualified professionals, and generating $75 million in economic activity in 2007. New Brunswick's marine biosciences assets are distributed across the province, along the Fundy Coast, in the Acadian Peninsula, and in Moncton.

The event provided an opportunity for a funding announcement, during a welcome speech by New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham. The provincial government is providing $5 million to the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) to support applied research, the development of entrepreneurs, and innovation-based start-ups in New Brunswick.

Thierry Chopin being honoured during the R3 Gala 2010.

The NBIF was created in 2002 as a not-for-profit, independent foundation, with a $30 million contribution from government to support economic growth through targeted investments in research, individual companies and key industrial clusters, including IT and the e-economy, advanced manufacturing, environmental services and the bio-economy. Since its inception, the NBIF has funded 778 research projects, and helped 49 innovative New Brunswick companies leverage an additional $177 million from other sources. The foundation is also helping to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs through its provincial business plan competitions.

The Biosciences community in New Brunswick is fond of the NBIF. In a survey conducted by BioAtlantech and its partners in 2008, the NBIF's Research Assistantship Initiative received high praises for its impact on enhancing human resources. The program matches a host of other initiatives in support of research assistants in universities and research institutions. The initiative supported 17 assistantships in bioscience laboratories in 2009, and 50 in total across supported sectors.

Guy Kawasaki during his presentation “The Art of Innovation”.

The gala evening was capped by an engaging presentation by the renowned California entrepreneurial guru Guy Kawasaki. Kawasaki is a founding partner and entrepreneur-in-residence at the Silicon Valley, Calif., company Garage Technology Ventures. During his presentation, Kawasaki went over 11 key points on fostering innovation, using contemporary language and engaging examples to illustrate key strategies aimed at debunking myths, including gems such as creating a mantra, how an entrepreneur can fix the first version of a great revolution, how to avoid competing in existing markets and how to temper advice from bozos.

For more details on the R3 Gala and associated activities, please visit:
http://nbbusinessjournal.canadaeast.com/transcript/article/989703
http://nbbusinessjournal.canadaeast.com/gleaner/article/988299
http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/989621
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/search/article/989442
http://www.nbif.ca/eng/media/releases/researchers-honoured-province-injects-5-million-into-foundation

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