Chief Technology Officer Dr. André Arsenault wins NSERC Innovation Challenge Award.
The NSERC ceremony tonight will also honour the winner and runners-up of the NSERC Innovation Challenge Award, a competition where graduate students are invited to demonstrate their spirit of entrepreneurship by identifying potential products or services that could be developed from their thesis research.
The first prize – worth $10,000 – goes to André Arsenault, a chemist at the University of Toronto.
Arsenault has conducted research into photonic crystals and developed a photonic “ink” that will change colour in response to a stimulus. He has set up his own company – Opalux Incorporated – to develop applications for this technology that include signage that can be modified electronically, colour-changing sensors for use in forensics, biometrics and security, and anti-counterfeiting measures.
“These awards encourage graduate students to consider real-world applications of their research, and I am very impressed with the high calibre of the proposals we received from universities across Canada,” said Dr. Fortier. “These young researchers understand well that the ability to translate new knowledge into innovative products and services is just as important as the talent needed to discover that knowledge in the first place.”
And the winner is…
André and Charlene Arsenault
