An Island of Innovation

April 07, 2009 — Nanaimo, British Columbia

Mid-Island Science, Technology and Innovation Council (MISTIC)

Some talented business people, who have moved to Vancouver Island after having successful careers, are still hard at work applying their expertise. Many are facilitating the launch and growth of businesses in the region, often making invaluable contributions to the success of local enterprises.

Their work is coordinated through the Mid-Island Science, Technology and Innovation Council (MISTIC), a non-profit organization established in Nanaimo in 1994. As one of nine regional councils in the province, MISTIC has cultivated strong ties to economic development offices, chambers of commerce, and Aboriginal business-development organizations on Vancouver Island.

"Our role is that of a catalyst and liaison with industry, post-secondary institutions and government agencies," says MISTIC executive director, Carolyn Tatton. An 11-member Board of Directors is composed of professionals with experience in areas that range from education and finance to robotics, aerospace and aquaculture. In addition to hosting seminars, forums and lectures with themes in science, technology or business matters, MISTIC provides ambitious entrepreneurs with networking opportunities as well as formal introductions to consultants and other members of the community.

More specifically, MISTIC offers the services of business mentors and coaches to assist entrepreneurs in a highly directed, personal fashion. In the most recent business year, three of these individuals spent a total of 500 hours in just this way, counselling representatives of 125 different businesses. These activities included helping manufacturers enhance their export strategies, finding partners for agricultural producers, and creating marketing plans for architectural and engineering firms.

This growing level of business services is supported by the National Research Council Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). The federal initiative offers a range of both technical and business-oriented advisory services along with potential financial support to growth-oriented, small- and medium-sized Canadian enterprises. The program is delivered by a network of 240 business professionals, based in 100 communities across the country. NRC-IRAP supports innovative research, development and commercialization of new products and services.

"This evolution has been very successful," says Tatton. "NRC-IRAP has enabled us to grow from just one business mentor to three, allowing for a broader range of expertise and geographic coverage. We have worked with Innovation and Network Advisor Diana Nacer for a number of years on this initiative."

Besides being located in different parts of the large territory represented by MISTIC, these three individuals bring considerable experience in areas such as marketing, international business and the principles of successful start-up enterprises. Moreover, the support of NRC-IRAP also increased the number of hours that these mentors were able to spend with various clients, as demand is heavy for this type of assistance.

Due to the success of this initiative, MISTIC has also secured additional funding from Western Economic Diversification to increase their business mentor team to a complement of five. With this additional talent and expertise, the organization's services now include business plan development and financial forecasting.

With an eye toward keeping talented young people on Vancouver Island, MISTIC has become a leading sponsor of science fairs, particularly in local First Nations communities. MISTIC also coordinates a series of innovation awards, presented annually in conjunction with National Science and Technology Week. These honours regularly highlight businesses that stand out from much of Vancouver Island's economy, which relies on tourism and resource industries. The winners have included such remarkable undertakings as an electric car manufacturer who exports vehicles around the world, and is based in the small town of Errington.

For Tatton, mentoring and coaching reinforces the relationship MISTIC has developed with such businesses. "We continue to receive positive feedback thanking us for providing such a valuable service," she says.