2025 Winner: Alberta-wide Community Champion of Innovation/Special AwardRegional Innovation Champions - RESEARCH
Training Biomedical Engineers and translating ideas into improved healthcare worldwide.
Dr. Robert Burrell, Sorensen Chair in Commercialization of Biomedical Technology and Professor at the U of A, is a global leader in metallic-film therapeutics for infection and inflammation. Over 40 years he has pioneered biofilm control and translated nanotech to wound care, inventing Acticoat™: the first therapeutic nanotechnology commercialized via Westaim/Nucryst and now marketed worldwide by Smith+Nephew. He also co-founded Alberta ventures, mentors future innovators, and holds diagnostics and stem-cell patents; with another 2025 Finalist, Dr. Hilal Gul, he co-invented a stem-cell technology (US 12,264,333) for MyStem Biotech and co-founded Colustra Inc. for dermal regeneration.Pioneering Innovations in Regenerative Design for the Built Environment
Athabasca University is Canada’s Open University, delivering flexible online degrees and professional learning. One of Alberta’s four CARUs, AU hosts 4 Canada Research Chairs, the UNESCO/ICDE OER Chair, and the COL Chair in Emerging Tech for ODL. First in Canada to move all digital infrastructure to AWS, enabling IDEA Lab.
RAIC Centre for Architecture at AU (est. 2012 with RAIC) advances regenerative design and virtual architectural tech. The team includes Dr. Henry Tsang with Drs. Douglas MacLeod, Trevor Butler, and Veronica Madonna, it serves 700+ learners in 26 countries and impacts communities worldwide.
