May 27, 2025
XPRIZE Canada Hub officially launches at U荔枝视频
The first global XPRIZE hub launched at the 荔枝视频 earlier this month, expanding the organization鈥檚 presence and reflecting its mission to deepen collaboration with innovators worldwide.
The at U荔枝视频 will expand the capacity of Canadian innovators by connecting, supporting and accelerating teams to engage in XPRIZE activities that will help de-risk and validate new technologies for investment, adoption and implementation.
鈥淯荔枝视频 is the ideal host for the XPRIZE Canada Hub as our researchers are undertaking compelling innovation and entrepreneurship activities every day,鈥 says Dr. William Ghali, vice-president (research).
鈥淭he Hub will support more than just our 荔枝视频 community, but innovators across the country, strengthening U荔枝视频 and Canada鈥檚 leadership in global innovation.鈥
is an established global leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity鈥檚 greatest challenges.
The U荔枝视频 Hub's launch was celebrated May 6 to 9 with a series of events and activities hosted at the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking.
XPRIZE Canada Hub launch event
The took place on May 6, with government partners and more than 180 guests in attendance, launching several days of events providing a glimpse of what the XPRIZE Canada Hub will offer.
The event celebrated the new partnership and highlighted XPRIZE鈥檚 impact including a panel featuring Canadian XPRIZE alumni teams. This included U荔枝视频 alum Madison Savilow, BA鈥19, BComm鈥19, of . The company was a finalist and X-Factor Award Winner in the competition. The sponsorship of NRG and Canada鈥檚 Oil Sands Innovation Alliance with XPRIZE to run this competition, to develop new carbon dioxide conversion technologies from 2015-2021, showcased Alberta鈥檚 innovation system.
A Canadian-themed networking reception followed, showcasing U荔枝视频 spinoff companies , and who have successfully translated research to impact in their sectors of energy, health and deep tech.
Catalyzing impact: The next generation of impact entrepreneurs
After the launch, two exclusive events took place on May 7 for U荔枝视频鈥檚 research and innovation community.
The morning session showcased XPRIZE's approach to impact, featuring a keynote talk from Dr. Ghada Nafie, BSc (Eng)'00, MSc'17, PhD鈥20 (chemical engineering), CEO and co-founder of .
Nafie鈥檚 talk shared her entrepreneurial journey of taking a U荔枝视频 research discovery and scaling it into a global company.
A panel session followed to inspire the next generation of impact entrepreneurs moderated by Hunter Hub Executive Director Guy Levesque. The panel shared leadership journeys from Andrew Tauhert, XPRIZE鈥檚 chief impact officer; Pete Santosham, MBA'06 executive director of ; and Sue Crawford, BSc'11, BN'13, MN鈥20, manager of the at the .
XPRIZE mini moonshot workshop: Food, water, waste
Afternoon attendees experienced the XPRIZE approach to co-creating a transformative vision for challenges in food, water and waste through a Mini Moonshot Workshop.
Participants identified urgent challenge topics in food, water and waste and then designed their own prize concepts.
The top three concepts looked to address recycling plastics by creating a 100-per cent-compostable alternative; slowing sea-level rise to prevent glacier and ice-shelf loss; and reducing single-use plastics in health care.
The winning prize-concept pitch was, "Plastics Where we are Supposed to Care," which focused on creating an affordable compostable material, without compromising patient safety. Team members included Elsa Reisenhofer, Aditi Jain, Rebecca Ung, Tasneem Fazel, Mansi Singhal and Isabella Kastamonitis.
In photos: Catalyzing impact and moonshot workshops
Global Visioneering workshops
On May 8 and 9, XPRIZE welcomed a new cohort of its Global Brain Trust to U荔枝视频 campus for two days of Global Visioneering workshops.
This group of world-renowned innovators, thought leaders, industry experts and entrepreneurs shape the design of what could become the next revolutionary Moonshot Prize competitions.
More than 80 brain trust members and XPRIZE staff met to determine the most pressing challenges in their respective domains which will be drilled down to future prize concepts to be presented at in October 2025.
Three U荔枝视频 faculty members are currently part of the Global Brain Trust:
- Deep Tech: , professor, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, and , associate professor, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering (SSE)
- Climate & Energy: , professor, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, SSE.
What鈥檚 next
There will be more offerings to come from the XPRIZE Canada Hub after leadership for the hub is in place this summer. Stay tuned for more information and events by or visiting the Hub's .