Stories of Innovation

For BlackRock, continuous innovation is key. BlackRock’s Aladdin® business—which provides an investment management platform for institutional investors and wealth managers—is at the heart of the company’s tech innovation. Aladdin provides a unified investment management platform that gives clients a full view of their portfolio, across public and private markets—and enables...

Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) is the most comprehensive academic centre for multi-disciplinary robotics research in the UK, and one of the largest co-located robotics research centres in Europe. It is a partnership between the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) and the University of Bristol and home to...

Start it @KBC is a unique no-strings-attached startup accelerator supporting and promoting innovative and scalable entrepreneurship. As the largest startup ecosystem in Belgium representing around 1,000 coached startups, this rapidly growing community offers access to vast expertise, an enormous global network and state-of-the art work spaces. A unique proposition Start...

Who knew in 2003 that Passwords would become the bane of our existence and a constant drag on productivity? We did. We also knew that there was a technology called Biometrics that enabled computers to recognize humans uniquely. We decided to build a platform that would provide services such as...

“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...

COALIA is a research and innovation centre specializing in mineral technology, plastic engineering and advanced materials. Our mission is to develop innovative materials, products and processes in collaboration with companies in these sectors. We support them through technical assistance and play an important role in carrying out applied research and...

SEREX is the expert in forest products processing. Our team works with companies to develop sustainable solutions and practices that enable them to sharpen their competitive edge in the markets of the future. Our strength lies in understanding the technical and economic environments of our clients and partners so that...

If you woke up tomorrow and decided to start a company, how would you do it? Where would you begin? The reality is that most founders start companies alone, spending the first few months in a metaphorical (or, oftentimes, literal) garage figuring out how to get off the ground and...

“Inno-gration”? For IntegerHotspot’s, true innovation, founded in full integration, has informed the approach and ethos since day one. And has afforded the agency an edge since before certain interpretations of “integration” infiltrated agency zeitgeist. THE INTEGRATION ARCHETYPEIntegerHotspot’s was founded in 1999 by advertising maverick, Di Wilson as Pod Communications. From...

How Tractor Supply Blends Tradition, Technology and Trust to Serve Rural America. Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO) has quietly become one of the most successful and innovative retailers in the United States, earning a loyal following while staying true to its core mission: serving the needs of rural lifestyles. Since...

Leading the Industry Clark Nuber, the largest locally owned CPA firm in Washington state, proudly stands as a majority women-owned firm. The firm consistently ranks among Accounting Today and Inside Public Accounting’s national lists of “Top 100 Firms.” These lists include the Big 4 and many multi-office, national firms, highlighting...

Founded in 2018, ALPA Kids creates digital learning games for children aged 3–8, developed in close collaboration with local teachers and researchers to ensure pedagogically sound, age-appropriate content in each child’s native language. ALPA Kids mission is to turn children’s screen time into a safe, enriching learning experience by offering...

In a state known for its industrious spirit and manufacturing strength, the South Carolina Technical College System has quietly – and powerfully – become the engine driving economic growth, workforce transformation, and social mobility. With 16 colleges strategically located across the state, this system isn’t just preparing students for jobs...

Cteau – The Water Technology Centre has been devoting all its efforts to this issue since 2008. It is the only technology transfer centre dedicated to water technologies and ecological water management. With its multidisciplinary team of microbiologists, chemists, engineers (water, civil, process and mechanical) and test and analytical chemistry...

Electricity is a vital component of the American economy and way of life. The Powering America team supplies the determined, dependable talent that all this critical work requires. Between our 16,000 electrical contractors and 300,000 skilled construction professionals in the U.S., we have established a track record in virtually every...

Perched on a cliffside above the historic harbour of North America’s oldest city, Genesis is literally and figuratively at the edge of innovation, helping shape one of Atlantic Canada’s most vibrant startup communities. Since its launch in 1997, Genesis programming has been the starting point for over 1,000 aspiring tech...

BRAVE IDEAS ARE WHAT ENABLES A BRAND TO RELENTLESSLY CAPTURE THE ATTENTION AND LOYALTY OF CONSUMERS.   Creating a partnership based on shared responsibility enables clients and their agencies to build brands that become permanent fixtures in the hearts and minds of consumers. It is a philosophy and way of...

DIGITAL REAL ESTATE A groundbreaking online tool for both the office and the field – RealitApp. Three quarters of real estate agencies in Slovakia would welcome the opportunity to make their work easier through a mobile interface, instead of the old school use of notebooks or Excel. When the creators...

STIQ est une association multisectorielle d’entreprises québécoises qui a pour mission de développer les relations d’affaires et améliorer la compétitivité des entreprises manufacturières afin de favoriser l’essor de l’économie québécoise. Depuis sa fondation en 1987, STIQ agit comme activateur de performance en créant des maillages fructueux et en déployant des...

Emotional Ideas, inc. aka EI, is a sports and entertainment technology company revolutionizing known attractions, games, and products for the next generation of entertainment thrill-seekers. We are currently taking the popular sport of go-kart racing and combining it with the strategy and skill of Esports gaming to pioneer a new...

With more than 13,000 chambers worldwide, the Chamber of Commerce is the largest entrepreneurial network in the world. In Flanders, too, the Voka Chambers are the largest network. Voka represents 18,000businesses, 70% of added value, 65% of private employment and 80% of exports. With a globally ramified network of 130...

TO ALL OF OUR DMV INNOVATORS AND DREAMERS! Government and politics: two pillars that have long been synonymous with the identity of the capital region. While these will always remain cornerstones of the DMV, a new narrative is emerging – that of a global innovation hub for startups, emerging tech,...

Container Quick-Lock develops semi – and fully automatic locking systems for locking boxes and containers on Van’s and Trailers. All our locks have the following advantages, regardless of their purpose: SAFER | QUICKER | EASIER | SMARTER | CONNECTED The locking systems of Container Quick-Lock are game changers in the...

“Interning at Illuminate helped me row both as an individual and professional by giving me a platform to test my leadership skills, and most importantly by providing me with an invaluable network of connections at my disposal. Believe it or not, but the most important lesson I took from my...