Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

AVIA GIS

SOFT WARE TECHNOLOGIES FOR A HEALTHIER WORLD

“OUR RESEARCH DOESN’T STOP AFTER WRITING THE CONCLUSION.” – GUY HENDRICKX, FOUNDING MANAGING DIRECTOR, AVIA-GIS Ever heard of the proverb “better safe than sorry”? Well, Avia-GIS sure has. Even better: they built their entire business around it. Founder and CEO Guy Hendrickx started Avia-GIS in 2001 as a company with...

INNOVATION Quebec

THE ADRIQ

THE ADRIQ: ACCOMPANY.GATHER. TRANSFORM

ACCOMPANY. GATHER. TRANSFORM.

Mission and outreach in QuebecSupport and promote research and innovation in Quebec with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of businesses, here and abroad. Our mission at the ADRIQ (The Association pour le Développement de la Recherche et de l’Innovation du Québec) guides us in our objectives, actions, operations, and...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

COOPERATIVA HIDROELECTRICA DE LA MONTAÑA

COOPERATIVA HIDROELECTRICA DE LA MONTAÑA-Puerto Rico’s first electric power cooperative brings 21st century innovation to the rural center of the island

Puerto Rico’s first electric power cooperative brings 21st century innovation to the rural center of the island

THE COOPERATIVA HIDROELÉCTRICA DE LA MONTAÑAThe Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña (the Hydroelectric Cooperative of the Mountain, in English) is Puerto Rico’s first electric power cooperative. The Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña is organized with the purpose of providing business owners and residents in the municipalities of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

CITI

CITI-TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO

TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO, THE CAPE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE (CITI) SEEDED IT’S VISION OF A FUTURE FIT INCLUSIVE SOCIETY, IN THE WESTERN CAPE, THEN A PREDOMINANTLY AGRARIAN ECONOMY

Using Michael Porter’s cluster theory as a cornerstone of its strategy, CiTi designed interventions to grow, transform and enable a leading digital economy on the continent.   CiTi’s interventions have been acknowledged to have supported South Africa’s charge to the top of the inaugural fDi Africa “Tech Ecosystems of the...

Global Innovation Spotlight

5 Ways a State Can Support Its Tech Startup Ecosystem

A thriving startup ecosystem rarely appears by accident or grows without meaningful support. Behind every successful innovation hub stands a combination of smart policies, talented people, and long-term planning.  According to Tech Monitor, startup failures in the US surged by almost 60% in 2024 due to high inflation and low...

INNOVATION Quebec

CENTRE D’EXCELLENCE SUR LES DRONES (CED)

PIONNIER CANADIEN DE L’INDUSTRIE DES SATP CIVILS ET COMMERCIAUX

Lancé en 2011, le CED est une communauté d’intérêts et un OSBL travaillant au développement, à la gestion et à la promotion d’une gamme de services, d’expertises et d’innovations liées au secteur des Systèmes d’Aéronefs Télépilotés (SATP). Notre siège social est situé à l’aéroport d’Alma (CYTF) et nos services sont...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Launch Tennessee

Advances legacy of innovation

Public-private partnership Launch Tennessee has spent more than a decade creating a unique statewide startup ecosystem, supporting entrepreneurs in all 95 counties across the Volunteer State by providing capital, commercialization support, and connections. “It’s a great privilege to work on behalf of the entire state to boost innovation and entrepreneurship,”...

United Nations Lesotho

RCO

THE UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR OFFICE

The Office of the Resident Coordinator’s Support to Lesotho Strategic Leadership and Coordination The United Nations Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) plays a pivotal role in supporting the work of the UN Resident Coordinator, who leads the UN Country Team (UNCT) in consultation with the Government of Lesotho. Together, they define...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

VIRTUAL MANAGEMENT

IS THE MANAGEMENT OF FREQUENTLY AND WIDELY DISPERSED GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH RARELY, IF EVER, MEETING THEM FACE-TO-FACE.

Established in 1995 we have managed more than 50 projects in finding new ways of empowering businesses and people. We are a business facilitator, identifier and coach with the aim to increase sales, increase productivity, and finding new tools for training and access to new cross industry markets and partners....

INNOVATE® Seattle

DEFINED.AI

ENABLING CREATORS OF THE FUTURE - TRANSFORMING AI TRAINING, ONE DATASET AT A TIME

At Defined.ai, our commitment is to enable the builders of AI with ethically sourced data and deliver conversational AI to digitally low-resourced markets. I had the idea of founding the company when I realized how the Conversational AI market was becoming mainstream, and everyone was building multilingual voice search and...

INNOVATION Quebec

PRIMA

Se démarquer sur les marchés grâce auxmatériaux avancés et… à PRIMA Québec

Standing out in the market thanks to advanced materials... and PRIMA Québec

PRIMA Québec is the advanced materials research and innovation hub that supports and promotes the advanced materials ecosystem and acts as an engine of innovation and economic growth in Quebec.   It is a leading catalyst between the industrial and research communities. Acting as a sectoral industrial research group (SIRG),...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

CHOOSE NEW JERSEY

New Jersey, a hub for entrepreneurs and multinationals alike, is located in the most highly connected region in the U.S., with all the assets and accessibility any business needs

Choose New Jersey is New Jersey’s leading nonprofit economic development organization. We stimulate job creation and attract capital investment with the aim of growing New Jersey’s economy. We market New Jersey globally as the most ideal state in the U.S. to live, work, and play, and we guide businesses in...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

WEAR-TECH

INNOVATING SAFETY

WEAR-TECH – DETECT – PREDICT – PROTECT™ “Our homegrown AI companion, MAHI™, is aware of its users’ environment and alerts the wearer and the caregivers if a vulnerable loved one inadvertently heads towards a hazard.” A profound loss propelled an innovator in Hartland, WI, to create predictive safety technologies for...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Pittsburgh Institute for Aeronautics

Keeping America’s Aviation Industry Flying High

Originally founded in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1929, PIA has offered industry-leading aviation training for nearly a century. As the organization’s newest campus, PIA Myrtle Beach first opened its doors in January 2012 in the same building that once housed the avionics facilities for the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. This...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

MSOE

INNOVATION AT THE FOREFRONT

Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) stands as a beacon of innovation, driving forward the boundaries of what’s possible in engineering, business, technology and nursing. With a legacy that intertwines with the heart of Milwaukee’s development, MSOE has become synonymous with excellence, opportunity, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge. At the...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

INVARY

PROTECTING OUR NATION’S CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE HEARTLAND

PROTECTING OUR NATION’S CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE HEARTLAND Invary is a cybersecurity company focused on ensuring the security and confidentiality of public and private critical infrastructure. Founded on a technology license from the NSA’s Laboratory for Advanced Cybersecurity Research, Invary validates that systems are functioning as intended, safeguarding them from...

INNOVATE® Philadelphia: 250 Years of Innovation

CFI Workspace

Project Spotlight: Drexel University, Kelly Hall

Shaping the Future of Workplace Design

The spaces where people work, learn, and heal influence how they collaborate, perform, and grow. For more than four decades, CFI Workspace has helped organizations create environments that support those experiences through thoughtful workplace design and commercial furniture solutions. Founded in 1985, CFI Workspace partners with organizations across the Philadelphia...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

EGGSPLAIN

FROM HOME BUILT SERVERS TO A SCALABLE, SECURE AI PLATFORM

The story of Eggsplain begins not in a corporate boardroom, but in a Stockholm apartment filled with servers, wires, and curiosity. Yasaar Biladama, a lifelong coder and technology enthusiast, had been experimenting with artificial intelligence long before it became a business buzzword. Driven by a passion for computers since childhood,...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

KINGSLEY HOLGATE FOUNDATION

KINGSLEY HOLGATE FOUNDATION -KINGSLEY HOLGATE IS RIGHTFULLY REGARDED AS THE MOST TRAVELLED PERSON IN AFRICA

KINGSLEY HOLGATE IS RIGHTFULLY REGARDED AS THE MOST TRAVELLED PERSON IN AFRICA

Kingsley and his Foundation team have driven across the continent over hundreds of thousands of kilometres through all 54 countries over the last three decades, distributing mosquito bed nets and other much-needed healthcare relief to the remotest parts of the continent. Kingsley isn’t only inspired by adventure: he’s a humanitarian...

INNOVATE® Miami

Pitch Night MIA

Pitch Night MIA - A monthly pitch competition designed to bring the startup community together

Monthly pitch competition designed to bring the startup community together

Pitch Night MIA is a monthly pitch competition designed to bring the startup community together for a night of entertainment, education and collaboration.     Miami right now is buzzing with an influx of innovative people, businesses, and opportunities. With everything being so new, it can be challenging for founders...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

Noblis

Engineering Innovation for the Best of Reasons

For three decades, Noblis has operated at the intersection of science, technology, and national security, solving some of the nation’s most complex challenges. Founded in 1996 on the belief that rigorous science can drive meaningful solutions, Noblis has grown into one of the federal government’s most trusted science and technology...

INNOVATION Quebec

ALLIANCE MÉTAL QUÉBEC

EN MODE INNOVATION

Au Québec, le secteur de la fabrication métallique industrielle (FMI) est le plus important secteur manufacturier. Alliance Métal Québec (AMQ), compte plus de 100 entreprises spécialisées dans les structures complexes et composantes métalliques. Sa mission est de créer des synergies entre les entreprises afin de solutionner des problématiques communes. LE...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Caleño

Caleño-The Story SO FAR!

The Story SO FAR!

About UsCaleño is a range of distilled non-alcoholic spirits inspired by the sun-drenched spirit of Colombia that take you seamlessly from day to night. Light & Zesty is a tropical blend of Inca berry, citrus and spice botanicals and Dark & Spicy, a warming infusion of dark tropical pineapple notes...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Optical Academy

Has been pioneering the change in the delivery of eye care

Optical Academy- Has been pioneering the change in the delivery of eye care by making eye care the most convenient, affordable, and accessible it has ever been. The company came to life 14 years ago after CEO, Abby Ayoub, crossed paths with a 15-year-old girl who was desperate for an...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

AVIA GIS

SOFT WARE TECHNOLOGIES FOR A HEALTHIER WORLD

“OUR RESEARCH DOESN’T STOP AFTER WRITING THE CONCLUSION.” – GUY HENDRICKX, FOUNDING MANAGING DIRECTOR, AVIA-GIS Ever heard of the proverb “better safe than sorry”? Well, Avia-GIS sure has. Even better: they built their entire business around it. Founder and CEO Guy Hendrickx started Avia-GIS in 2001 as a company with...

INNOVATION Quebec

THE ADRIQ

THE ADRIQ: ACCOMPANY.GATHER. TRANSFORM

ACCOMPANY. GATHER. TRANSFORM.

Mission and outreach in QuebecSupport and promote research and innovation in Quebec with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of businesses, here and abroad. Our mission at the ADRIQ (The Association pour le Développement de la Recherche et de l’Innovation du Québec) guides us in our objectives, actions, operations, and...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

COOPERATIVA HIDROELECTRICA DE LA MONTAÑA

COOPERATIVA HIDROELECTRICA DE LA MONTAÑA-Puerto Rico’s first electric power cooperative brings 21st century innovation to the rural center of the island

Puerto Rico’s first electric power cooperative brings 21st century innovation to the rural center of the island

THE COOPERATIVA HIDROELÉCTRICA DE LA MONTAÑAThe Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña (the Hydroelectric Cooperative of the Mountain, in English) is Puerto Rico’s first electric power cooperative. The Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña is organized with the purpose of providing business owners and residents in the municipalities of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

CITI

CITI-TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO

TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO, THE CAPE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE (CITI) SEEDED IT’S VISION OF A FUTURE FIT INCLUSIVE SOCIETY, IN THE WESTERN CAPE, THEN A PREDOMINANTLY AGRARIAN ECONOMY

Using Michael Porter’s cluster theory as a cornerstone of its strategy, CiTi designed interventions to grow, transform and enable a leading digital economy on the continent.   CiTi’s interventions have been acknowledged to have supported South Africa’s charge to the top of the inaugural fDi Africa “Tech Ecosystems of the...

Global Innovation Spotlight

5 Ways a State Can Support Its Tech Startup Ecosystem

A thriving startup ecosystem rarely appears by accident or grows without meaningful support. Behind every successful innovation hub stands a combination of smart policies, talented people, and long-term planning.  According to Tech Monitor, startup failures in the US surged by almost 60% in 2024 due to high inflation and low...

INNOVATION Quebec

CENTRE D’EXCELLENCE SUR LES DRONES (CED)

PIONNIER CANADIEN DE L’INDUSTRIE DES SATP CIVILS ET COMMERCIAUX

Lancé en 2011, le CED est une communauté d’intérêts et un OSBL travaillant au développement, à la gestion et à la promotion d’une gamme de services, d’expertises et d’innovations liées au secteur des Systèmes d’Aéronefs Télépilotés (SATP). Notre siège social est situé à l’aéroport d’Alma (CYTF) et nos services sont...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Launch Tennessee

Advances legacy of innovation

Public-private partnership Launch Tennessee has spent more than a decade creating a unique statewide startup ecosystem, supporting entrepreneurs in all 95 counties across the Volunteer State by providing capital, commercialization support, and connections. “It’s a great privilege to work on behalf of the entire state to boost innovation and entrepreneurship,”...

United Nations Lesotho

RCO

THE UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR OFFICE

The Office of the Resident Coordinator’s Support to Lesotho Strategic Leadership and Coordination The United Nations Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) plays a pivotal role in supporting the work of the UN Resident Coordinator, who leads the UN Country Team (UNCT) in consultation with the Government of Lesotho. Together, they define...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

VIRTUAL MANAGEMENT

IS THE MANAGEMENT OF FREQUENTLY AND WIDELY DISPERSED GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH RARELY, IF EVER, MEETING THEM FACE-TO-FACE.

Established in 1995 we have managed more than 50 projects in finding new ways of empowering businesses and people. We are a business facilitator, identifier and coach with the aim to increase sales, increase productivity, and finding new tools for training and access to new cross industry markets and partners....

INNOVATE® Seattle

DEFINED.AI

ENABLING CREATORS OF THE FUTURE - TRANSFORMING AI TRAINING, ONE DATASET AT A TIME

At Defined.ai, our commitment is to enable the builders of AI with ethically sourced data and deliver conversational AI to digitally low-resourced markets. I had the idea of founding the company when I realized how the Conversational AI market was becoming mainstream, and everyone was building multilingual voice search and...

INNOVATION Quebec

PRIMA

Se démarquer sur les marchés grâce auxmatériaux avancés et… à PRIMA Québec

Standing out in the market thanks to advanced materials... and PRIMA Québec

PRIMA Québec is the advanced materials research and innovation hub that supports and promotes the advanced materials ecosystem and acts as an engine of innovation and economic growth in Quebec.   It is a leading catalyst between the industrial and research communities. Acting as a sectoral industrial research group (SIRG),...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

CHOOSE NEW JERSEY

New Jersey, a hub for entrepreneurs and multinationals alike, is located in the most highly connected region in the U.S., with all the assets and accessibility any business needs

Choose New Jersey is New Jersey’s leading nonprofit economic development organization. We stimulate job creation and attract capital investment with the aim of growing New Jersey’s economy. We market New Jersey globally as the most ideal state in the U.S. to live, work, and play, and we guide businesses in...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

WEAR-TECH

INNOVATING SAFETY

WEAR-TECH – DETECT – PREDICT – PROTECT™ “Our homegrown AI companion, MAHI™, is aware of its users’ environment and alerts the wearer and the caregivers if a vulnerable loved one inadvertently heads towards a hazard.” A profound loss propelled an innovator in Hartland, WI, to create predictive safety technologies for...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Pittsburgh Institute for Aeronautics

Keeping America’s Aviation Industry Flying High

Originally founded in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1929, PIA has offered industry-leading aviation training for nearly a century. As the organization’s newest campus, PIA Myrtle Beach first opened its doors in January 2012 in the same building that once housed the avionics facilities for the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. This...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

MSOE

INNOVATION AT THE FOREFRONT

Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) stands as a beacon of innovation, driving forward the boundaries of what’s possible in engineering, business, technology and nursing. With a legacy that intertwines with the heart of Milwaukee’s development, MSOE has become synonymous with excellence, opportunity, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge. At the...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

INVARY

PROTECTING OUR NATION’S CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE HEARTLAND

PROTECTING OUR NATION’S CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE HEARTLAND Invary is a cybersecurity company focused on ensuring the security and confidentiality of public and private critical infrastructure. Founded on a technology license from the NSA’s Laboratory for Advanced Cybersecurity Research, Invary validates that systems are functioning as intended, safeguarding them from...

INNOVATE® Philadelphia: 250 Years of Innovation

CFI Workspace

Project Spotlight: Drexel University, Kelly Hall

Shaping the Future of Workplace Design

The spaces where people work, learn, and heal influence how they collaborate, perform, and grow. For more than four decades, CFI Workspace has helped organizations create environments that support those experiences through thoughtful workplace design and commercial furniture solutions. Founded in 1985, CFI Workspace partners with organizations across the Philadelphia...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

EGGSPLAIN

FROM HOME BUILT SERVERS TO A SCALABLE, SECURE AI PLATFORM

The story of Eggsplain begins not in a corporate boardroom, but in a Stockholm apartment filled with servers, wires, and curiosity. Yasaar Biladama, a lifelong coder and technology enthusiast, had been experimenting with artificial intelligence long before it became a business buzzword. Driven by a passion for computers since childhood,...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

KINGSLEY HOLGATE FOUNDATION

KINGSLEY HOLGATE FOUNDATION -KINGSLEY HOLGATE IS RIGHTFULLY REGARDED AS THE MOST TRAVELLED PERSON IN AFRICA

KINGSLEY HOLGATE IS RIGHTFULLY REGARDED AS THE MOST TRAVELLED PERSON IN AFRICA

Kingsley and his Foundation team have driven across the continent over hundreds of thousands of kilometres through all 54 countries over the last three decades, distributing mosquito bed nets and other much-needed healthcare relief to the remotest parts of the continent. Kingsley isn’t only inspired by adventure: he’s a humanitarian...

INNOVATE® Miami

Pitch Night MIA

Pitch Night MIA - A monthly pitch competition designed to bring the startup community together

Monthly pitch competition designed to bring the startup community together

Pitch Night MIA is a monthly pitch competition designed to bring the startup community together for a night of entertainment, education and collaboration.     Miami right now is buzzing with an influx of innovative people, businesses, and opportunities. With everything being so new, it can be challenging for founders...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

Noblis

Engineering Innovation for the Best of Reasons

For three decades, Noblis has operated at the intersection of science, technology, and national security, solving some of the nation’s most complex challenges. Founded in 1996 on the belief that rigorous science can drive meaningful solutions, Noblis has grown into one of the federal government’s most trusted science and technology...

INNOVATION Quebec

ALLIANCE MÉTAL QUÉBEC

EN MODE INNOVATION

Au Québec, le secteur de la fabrication métallique industrielle (FMI) est le plus important secteur manufacturier. Alliance Métal Québec (AMQ), compte plus de 100 entreprises spécialisées dans les structures complexes et composantes métalliques. Sa mission est de créer des synergies entre les entreprises afin de solutionner des problématiques communes. LE...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Caleño

Caleño-The Story SO FAR!

The Story SO FAR!

About UsCaleño is a range of distilled non-alcoholic spirits inspired by the sun-drenched spirit of Colombia that take you seamlessly from day to night. Light & Zesty is a tropical blend of Inca berry, citrus and spice botanicals and Dark & Spicy, a warming infusion of dark tropical pineapple notes...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Optical Academy

Has been pioneering the change in the delivery of eye care

Optical Academy- Has been pioneering the change in the delivery of eye care by making eye care the most convenient, affordable, and accessible it has ever been. The company came to life 14 years ago after CEO, Abby Ayoub, crossed paths with a 15-year-old girl who was desperate for an...

Ecosystems