2021 Finalist: Innovator of the Year sponsored by Bennett Jones LLP
Dr. Michael Taschuk is a leader and innovator in every sense of the words
There are few people in Alberta who have conceived, developed, and scaled a technology to impact the energy and environmental challenges of our generation. Even fewer have reinvented themselves, from scientist to entrepreneur, to bring that technology to commercial relevance and viability with some of the top technology companies and research institutes around the world.
The impact of his leadership over the past 20 years in the fields of science, education, and entrepreneurship is very evident. He has devoted his life to understanding the generational issues that come with immense population growth on the planet, specifically around energy and food security, and uses his unique skillset to create positive change.
Dr. Taschuk understood that solutions to global challenges would require new thinking
He also understood that true impact happens through the translation of academic research into the lives of people. G2V was founded with the mission TO FEED AND POWER THE WORLD OF TOMORROW. Using Dr. Taschuk’s innovative Engineered Sunlight technology, G2V has drastically enhanced the quality, speed, and yield of crops produced in controlled environments and improved the development of solar renewable devices.
From 2015 to today, Dr. Taschuk and his team have worked to bring that mission to the world stage. G2V has reached customers in over 30 countries. These customers include Amazon’s Project Kuiper (constellation satellites to provide global internet connectivity), NASA’s OSAM-1 mission (robotic satellite mission), NREL’s world-renowned photovoltaic development & testing group, Enterra Feed (low-carbon insect protein), Wild + Pine (tree seedling reforestation), and over 100 leading researchers from institutions such as UCLA, CNES, KTH Royal Institute, and Kyoto University. Dr. Taschuk innovation has enabled the use of light to massively improve the outcomes of applications ranging from 30% increases in indoor farming yield to near-perfect replication of sunlight for aerospace & materials development.
“There are colours beyond what humans can see, both in the ultraviolet and into the infrared, which solar cells and plants care about. Plants grow 30 per cent better if you get the lighting right. This is just game-changing for verticals farms, or indoor farming under controlled environment.”
Dr. Michael Taschuk
Founder, G2V Optics
