Applications now open for 2019 CONtact innovator mentorship program
OTTAWA, June 27, 2019 – Canadian Construction Innovations (CCI), in partnership with the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and with support from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), is pleased to announce the launch of the 2019 CONtact innovator mentorship program.
The CONtact mentorship initiative aims to match aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs creating new solutions for the construction industry with experienced industry leaders to help refine their products and services be it from start-up to scale-up for fast-track adoption.
“Our goal is to spark innovation and accelerate the use of new solutions to improve the industry’s productivity, safety, profitability and contribution to building sustainable communities,” said Mary Van Buren, president of CCA. “One of the biggest challenges for innovators and entrepreneurs developing new solutions is gaining access to executives in the industry to get feedback on their solutions. Equally, it can be difficult for the industry to learn about leading-edge solutions that can dramatically improve their businesses. CONtact provides the perfect platform to overcome that challenge,” she continued.
John Bockstael, chair of CCI, added: “The CONtact program not only encourages progressive entrepreneurs and innovators who have the potential and opportunity to transform the industry especially from a technology perspective, but also acts as a magnet to attract a tech-savvy next-gen workforce.”
The 2019 CONtact innovator mentorship program is launched based on a successful pilot program earlier this year where select mentees had the opportunity to receive valuable advice from industry experts to improve their product offering for industry acceptance.
Innovators and entrepreneurs interested in participating in the 2019 CONtact innovator mentorship program can submit their online applications by August 30, 2019 at cca-acc.com/contact.
Successful applicants will be announced in early October and will be matched with mentors soon after.
CCI invites construction experts with five plus years of industry practice or who have experience in helping to bring innovative solutions to market to apply online as mentors at cca-acc.com/contact.
About CCI
CCI’s vision is to instill a culture of research and innovation in the Canadian construction industry. CCI enhances industry-wide collaboration for innovation to improve the industry’s productivity, safety, profitability or contribution to building sustainable communities. CCI was established by the Canadian Construction Association with the mandate to lead innovations for the industry.
About CCA
Across Canada, CCA represents more than 20,000 members firms drawn from 63 local and provincial integrated partner associations. CCA gives voice to the public policy, legal and standards development goals of contractors, suppliers and allied business professionals working in, or with, Canada’s non-residential construction industry.
Contact
Kenny Leon
Marketing Director, Canadian Construction Innovations
613-236-9455, ext. 438
kleon@cca-acc.com