PARTEQ Brings Entrepreneur Expertise to Queen’s University Students

Published on: 2012/03/29 - in Releases

PARTEQ Innovations’ new entrepreneur in residence knows a thing or two about business success. And he’s bringing his business savvy and engineering background to Queen’s University to help young researchers get their ideas off the ground. 

Roger Bowes, former CEO of Kingston’s ESG Solutions, transferred his graduate research experience in seismology at Queen’s into the startup company while expanding his sphere of influence from employee to CEO.  Under his leadership the company more than doubled in size and then went global, opening three new offices in Calgary, the US and China.

 “There are lots of talented young people in Kingston and more would stay in Kingston if there were jobs,” says Mr. Bowes. “New companies would employ people and I think PARTEQ can provide opportunities to help create those new companies. PARTEQ is a hub of ideas.”

Funding agencies recognize PARTEQ as a significant contributor to the commercial aspects of research and Bowes’ goal at PARTEQ is to get involved with one or two new start-up companies and see where that leads. Even if they have hatched the brightest of ideas, most researchers lack the funds to move forward with them, or lack the networks to knowhow to create a business or support it.

“Roger’s experience of growing a company from the ground up is both a great value-add to our portfolio of expertise, and an excellent ice-breaker with new inventors,” says John Molloy, President and CEO of PARTEQ. “Having ‘been there, done that’, he brings both a valuable network of contacts and a large toolbox of lessons learned, both of which are a big help to young innovators.”

PARTEQ has helped to form 407 patents, and 45 companies based on Queen’s technologies and over 700 jobs have been created. Last year, PARTEQ returned $1.5 million to inventors and Queen’s and has returned $33 million over the past 25 years. In 2009 PARTEQ became the first university-based technology transfer office in Canada to be awarded a Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research, GreenCentre Canada.

To learn more about the technologies and products being developed visit the PARTEQ website.

—————————————————————————————————–

Release source: Queen’s University News Centre