McKenna Institute: Celebrating innovation and what’s next for N.B.

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When the room filled with more than 440 people at the InnovateNB Awards this November, excitement and confidence filled the air. It was a night that recognized excellence, of course, but it also revealed New Brunswick’s digital economy is maturing, and it is being noticed.

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It was striking how clearly the award winners demonstrated the power of investing in New Brunswick talent and innovation. Their successes were proof when we choose to buy New Brunswick solutions, hire New Brunswick talent, and support New Brunswick innovators, we fuel a cycle of momentum that benefits the entire province.

Consider MedReddie, recognized with the Innovative Product or Service Award. Their technology is reshaping how critical medical information is accessed, improving patient care while showing life-changing health innovation can be built right here at home.

SmartSkin Technologies, recipients of the Impact Innovation Award, uses sophisticated sensor analytics to help some of the world’s biggest manufacturers run more efficiently. Built in New Brunswick and exported globally, SmartSkin demonstrates what happens when technical talent, bold vision, and early provincial support intersect.

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Versos, named Startup of the Year, is an example of how New Brunswick digital innovators are solving global problems locally. Their advanced video-intelligence platform helps companies transform video into AI-ready datasets, a critical piece of infrastructure in a rapidly expanding AI economy. Versos’ recognition shows when New Brunswick talent is supported early, it can compete on the world stage.

Even in the public sector, transformation is being led by local innovators. This year’s winners in the Public Sector Transformation category, the Centre of Excellence for Digital Innovation, showcased how digital tools are being used to modernize education and develop the digital skills of students across New Brunswick. They prove that cutting-edge, digital learning methods can be developed and taught right here in our own backyard.

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The 2025 InnovateNB Awards also shone a spotlight on individuals whose leadership and vision are shaping our province’s future. The Beacon Award for Women in Innovation & Leadership went to Dr. Alli Murugesan, a respected biomedical researcher and entrepreneur whose work is strengthening New Brunswick’s health-tech ecosystem. The Emerging Innovator Award was awarded to Pascale Michaud, recognizing rising talent and early-stage impact in our innovation community. The Innovation in Academia and Research Award was awarded to Dr. Moulay Akhloufi of the Université de Moncton, underscoring the critical role of academic research and this province’s universities in driving future breakthroughs.

And then there is the story of Marcel LeBrun, inducted into the InnovateNB Hall of Fame. His induction reflects a career that has profoundly shaped New Brunswick’s innovation landscape. From his early work at NBTel to co-founding iMagicTV and leading Radian6 to global success, Marcel has consistently shown how world-class companies can be built from this province. His more recent work with 12 Neighbours, a social-purpose community initiative, reinforces innovation is about building a better, more inclusive New Brunswick. His legacy continues to inspire the next generation of founders.

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This year’s recipients reflect the full breadth of our ecosystem: emerging founders, established tech companies, social innovators, and public-sector trailblazers. Their work spans health care, manufacturing, community development, and digital transformation with a common foundation rooted in New Brunswick talent. They are built in New Brunswick communities. And they succeed because New Brunswickers believed in them early.

That belief is something we must continue to foster.

Uresta, recognized as Scale-up of the Year, illustrates how New Brunswick can nurture companies from early promise to national and international growth. Their women’s health solution serving bladder-health needs was built and scaled within this province’s innovation ecosystem and shows how locally developed products can make a meaningful, global impact.

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Buying New Brunswick and Canadian innovation is a practical strategy for growth. When institutions choose a New Brunswick-based company for a new digital platform, or when industry partners pilot homegrown solutions, we retain intellectual property, create local jobs, and strengthen companies poised to compete globally. The same is true when we partner with innovators across Canada. Supporting domestic companies is more important than ever if we want to move the productivity needle forward. Early customers close to home give all innovators the credibility they need to expand into new, international markets.

The same is true for talent. When we invest in training New Brunswickers at all levels from K-12 students learning digital literacy, to internationally trained professionals entering our workforce, to researchers advancing AI and data science, we build the capabilities companies like this year’s recipients depend on. We create a workforce that attracts industry, encourages entrepreneurship, and anchors families here.

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New Brunswick’s size is often described as a challenge, but for digital innovation, it is a tremendous advantage. We are a province where collaboration comes naturally, where pilot projects can be tested at scale, and where universities, government, industry, and community organizations can come together quickly around shared priorities. This agility allows innovation to move faster here than in many larger provinces and positions New Brunswick as a powerful testbed within Canada’s broader innovation ecosystem.

New Brunswick’s digital future is already being built by companies solving complex problems, public servants modernizing essential services, researchers pushing boundaries, and community leaders turning creativity into impact.

Our role now is to keep that momentum alive by choosing made-in-New Brunswick and made-in-Canada solutions when they are the best fit and investing in the people who are shaping what comes next by backing innovation at any opportunity.

Because when we invest in innovation, we strengthen the foundation of a thriving digital economy, create opportunity, and inspire the next generation of builders.

Melissa O’Rourke is the Associate Executive Director of the McKenna Institute at the University of New Brunswick.

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