UK Creative Industries KTN visits Toronto

SIN Canada in Toronto recently had the pleasure of a visit by Jeremy Davenport of the UK Creative Industries Knowledge Transfer Network (CI-KTN). The CI-KTN is part of the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), and represents around 6,000 companies/institutions involved in the creative sector. Jeremy was in Toronto to make connections with the creative types located here and take back examples of how Canadians get things done.

One of our first stops was OCAD University, a hotbed of creative Canadian design and innovative technology. We were ushered round the rapid prototyping laboratory (featuring 3D printers and more traditional fabrication equipment) before chatting to some of the faculty about their research and getting a sneak peek at a brand new research/display space on the TTC tram lines. Also on the academic side, we took a look round the Digital Media Zone (DMZ) at Ryerson University. The DMZ is an incubator for digital technology, harnessing the creative talents of the student body and translating them into commercial successes. The DMZ has already done some work with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) to export new technology to the UK, getting a head start on the global market.

One of the CI-KTN’s key interests is the convergence of the digital and physical worlds; 3D printing, augmented reality and the Internet of Things continue to blur these boundaries. Hacklab.TO, a local collective geared towards hacking items to create new functionality, is right at the centre of this. With a suite of high-end equipment and experts on hand to help newcomers out, it is a great example of grassroots creativity making new and innovative things out of what already exists.

Here’s Jeremy’s take on his visit:

Jeremy left Toronto with a bagful of business cards and a whole series of follow-up e-mails to write. Here in SIN Canada, we’re always looking for ways to incorporate the creative industries into science and technology projects, and will be looking to the CI-KTN to feed in on some of them.