ASTech’s 2003 Winners

Posted on by IT Admin
Spartek Systems Inc. won the award for Industrial Research – Southern Region for their innovation in geophysical instrumentation for the global petroleum industry. Founded in Sylvan Lake, which continues to be their centre for R&D and manufacturing, Spartek has developed advanced products since 1994, such as quartz and sapphire pressure gauges that enhance performance and reliability in reservoir characterization and wellbore diagnostics, supported with software development. Spartek expanded into a multinational enterprise and now has over 100 employees.
Honoured with the ASTech Special Award, Alastair Ross was a visionary leader dedicated to securing Alberta’s long-term prosperity through technology and research. Recognising the need to diversify the province’s economy beyond commodities, Ross founded the Calgary Research and Development Authority (CR&DA), which later became Calgary Technologies Inc. and now Platform Calgary. His enduring legacy lies in fostering Alberta’s advanced technology sector, balancing the economy, and ensuring sustained growth and opportunities for future generations, remembered through establishments like the Alastair Ross Technology Centre, located in the University of Calgary University Innovation Quarter.
Dr. Michael Brett won the Outstanding Leadership in Alberta Technology award for leading the creation of the University of Alberta’s Micromachining and NanoFabrication Facility (NanoFab). Since 2003, the nanoFAB has grown to Canada’s largest micro and nano fabrication and characterization centre supporting academic research and industry prototyping and small volume manufacturing in sensors, energy, semiconductors, quantum and biomedical devices. Annually the nanoFAB supports over 200 academic groups and companies, and over 500 active young professionals – supporting the direct industry employment of over 200 high-tech positions. Working with industry, and building on the growth and success of the last 20 years, the nanoFAB continues to collaborate to establish Alberta as a Canadian centre for semiconductor manufacturing.
Dr. Matthew Spence won the Outstanding Contribution to the Alberta Science and Technology Community award for leading the team that transformed the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR, now part of Alberta Innovates) into a global exemplar that attracted top-tier researchers to Alberta. His visionary leadership expanded AHFMR’s focus beyond biomedicine, fostering diverse health research initiatives and nurturing talent across the province. For his commitment to technology commercialization and advocacy for health research, Dr. Spence was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2004 and the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2006.
Dr. Miodrag “Mike” Belosevic, a distinguished water treatment researcher, won the Applied Technology and Innovation award for advancing water quality testing globally. His pioneering work on detecting and controlling parasites in drinking water like Giardia and Cryptosporidium informs the design of effective treatment facilities across North America and Europe. Dr. Belosevic was a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. For his impact on public health standards, he received numerous accolades, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and became a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Honoured for Outstanding Commercial Achievement in Alberta Science and Technology, NOVA Chemicals revolutionized polyethylene production with its Advanced SCLAIRTECH process. This innovative method uses dual reactors and cutting-edge catalysts to create premium resins, enhancing properties like clarity and durability. The technology’s success is evidenced by its commercialization, global sales, and significant contribution to Alberta’s economy through job creation and value-added product development. NOVA Chemicals’ Joffre manufacturing facility lies just east of Red Deer, and is one the largest ethylene and polyethylene production complexes in the world.   Today, NOVA Chemicals is reshaping plastics for a better, more sustainable world by leading the development of circular plastics and working toward a low carbon, zero-plastic-waste future.
The EMEND Project Partners won the ASTech Al-Pac Integrated Landscaping Management Award for leading the world’s largest forestry endeavour in northern Alberta. The Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance (EMEND) Project, located near Peace River, Alberta, Canada, is a large-scale variable retention harvest experiment designed specifically to answer questions about how retention of green tree residuals affects harvest cost, forest regeneration, patterns of succession, biodiversity, nutrient cycling, ground water characteristics and public perception. EMEND is a long-term project that began in 1998 and is forecasted to run for one stand rotation, or approximately 80-100 years. EMEND is currently supported by 15 partners including industry, Canadian universities, government departments, industrial research agencies, and the Sustainable Forest Management Network, is internationally recognized for advancing sustainable forest management and attracting global interest from researchers and forest products customers.
 
The Paraffinic Froth Treatment Technology Commercialization Team at Syncrude Canada Ltd. won the Innovation in Oil Sands Research award for their significant advancements in bitumen production. They commercialized a process using a paraffinic solvent to extract higher quality bitumen, free of water and solids, enhancing the efficiency of subsequent upgrading processes. This collaborative effort, involving Syncrude, Shell Canada, and Albian Sands Energy, led to the successful application of the technology in Albian Sands Energy’s 155,000 barrel-per-day plant, showcasing significant industry impact and innovation.
The University of Alberta’s Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research Outreach Program won the Excellence in Science and Technology Public Awareness award for significantly enhancing public awareness of science and technology. This program engaged U of A graduate students and volunteers to inspire and educate K-12 students, their teachers, and the broader community through interactive activities like field trips, science fairs, and hands-on workshops. During its operation, the program achieved impact through innovative pilot projects, such as an outdoor research center and an academic journal for high school students, deepening the connection between young people and the sciences.
Additional 2003 Winners Include:
  • IT pioneer Acrodex Inc. won the Industrial Research – Northern Region award for developing Arcspan, a web-based software suite that automated business processes across a company’s networks of clients, suppliers, and partners. Supporting resource management, project management, and expense management, Arcspan received accolades such as a Microsoft Innovation Award. In 2015, Acrodex was acquired by PCM Canada (Now Insight)
  • Tim Poon won the Leaders of Tomorrow award for his Master of Science research work at the University of Alberta’s iCORE Wireless Communications Laboratory – focused on developing mathematical models to improve optimal receiver performance amidst growing radio interference. Poon went on to Cambridge University’s Judge Business School and is now a Senior Program Manager at Telus.
  • Upside Software Inc.earned the award for Outstanding Commercial Achievement in Alberta Science and Technology for its remarkable growth in contract management technology solutions. Founded by Ashif Mawji, the company’s strategic investments in R&D led to significant sales, and then onto a future acquisition by Jaggaer. In future years, the Mawji Centre for New Venture and Student Entrepreneurship at NAIT,  was launched, and Ashif is currently involved in several social impact initiatives including: Managing Director of the Social Impact ScaleGood Fund, and founder of the Community Social Wellness Accelerator.
  • Dr. John O’Donovan won the Innovation in Agricultural Science award for revolutionizing weed management. His work, including economic threshold models and computerized systems like AgroManager on Weeds™, significantly reduced herbicide while potentially saving millions annually in reduced crop losses and herbicide costs. Before retiring from the Agriculture and Agriculture-Food Canada Lacombe Research Centre in 2016, Dr. O’Donovan’s studies on weed resistance in Alberta provided crucial evidence and effective management strategies, ensuring agricultural sustainability and resilience against herbicide resistance.
  • Honoured with the Outstanding Leadership in Alberta Science award, Dr. Brian Sykes has been instrumental in shaping protein research and structural biology in Canada through his pioneering use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Leading the University of Alberta’s Medical Research Council (MRC)/Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Group and the Protein Engineering Network of Centres of Excellence (PENCE), he also established the National High Field NMR Centre (NANUC). Dr. Sykes fostered a thriving community of structural biologists and was honoured with the Order of Canada in 2019.