Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre - SSMIC

10/15/2026

Who's going to make this year's Top 10?

The Innovation Awards nominees go up on this page first. On Friday, November 6, we name the Top 10 Innovators and Top 3 Innovative Companies over lunch at Delta Hotels.

Lunch is included, doors open at 11:30 AM, and the awards start at 12:30.

Tickets are on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2026-innovation-awards-tickets-1993621684124

Anyone on that list you're rooting for?

10/08/2026

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

On Friday, November 6, we're announcing the Top 10 Innovators and Top 3 Innovative Companies from Algoma and Manitoulin. Some of them you'll know already.

Doors open at 11:30 AM at Delta Hotels by Marriott, lunch is at noon, and the awards start at 12:30.

Reserve your seat: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2026-innovation-awards-tickets-1993621684124

Who from your office would you bring along?

The 2026 Innovation Awards is a celebratory lunch honouring the people and organizations driving innovation across Algoma-Manitoulin.

09/25/2026

Thank you for joining us at Tech on Tap!

Our goal is to bring together our local tech and business community to connect, learn, share ideas, and discover what’s happening right here in our community.

A special thank you to SooToday Spaces and Village Media for hosting us again, to Humanik, our Tech Spotlight, for sharing their story and insights with us, and to everyone who joined us today and helped make the event a success.

We look forward to seeing you at the next Tech on Tap!

09/21/2026

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN!

Do you know someone doing innovative things in our community?

Nominations for the 2026 Innovation Awards are now open. SSMIC is looking for the individuals and organizations across Algoma-Manitoulin who have introduced a new technology, improved a process, or found a creative fix for an old problem in the last two to three years.

There are two categories: Top 10 Individual Innovators and Top 3 Innovative Companies or Organizations. You can nominate someone else or put your own name forward.

Nominations close on September 25. Recipients will be celebrated at a lunch on November 6 at 11:30 AM at the Delta Hotels by Marriott.

Nominate here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2JB7HVN

Who is the first person who comes to mind?

SSMIC exists to drive business growth, facilitate research and commercialize innovation in science & technology.

09/15/2026

This Thursday, Gavan Acton is condensing his full growth program into one 90-minute session for you.

He spent fifteen years perfecting the framework that took Warframe's data team from one person to seventeen, across a player base of more than 80 million. That same framework is what you get to learn and apply this Thursday.

You'll leave knowing what's actually creating demand, what you should be charging, and which customers are already halfway out the door.

Thursday, September 17
1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Water Tower Inn, Sault Ste. Marie

Space is limited. Register today: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/what-actually-drives-growth-tickets-1999287125612?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/09/2026

Tech on Tap is back!

Join us for another community-driven evening focused on emerging technologies, innovation, and digital transformation.

Meet business owners, tech developers, creatives, and technology enthusiasts to connect, share ideas, and discover what’s happening in the local innovation ecosystem. Tech on Tap provides a welcoming space to learn from others, discover local talent, and have meaningful conversations about technology and innovation.

🗓 September 24, 2026
🕔5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
📍The Canopy @ Village Media HQ
298 Queen Street E, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

What to expect:
Featured technology spotlight
Community Show & Tell
Networking and community conversations

Hosted in partnership between the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre and SooToday SPACES.

Register here:

Tap into ideas, innovation, and community. Network with local leaders and innovators for conversations on emerging technology.

09/04/2026

Join us for our first workshop of the BBAA Workshop Series on September 21!

Get your website to show up in AI search.

This hands-on workshop, led by instructors from Camp Tech, will help business owners understand AI-powered search, why it matters, and practical ways to improve their online discoverability.
Learn how to improve your business’s visibility using SEO and GEO, including AI-powered keywords, content creation, and AI search optimization.

📅 September 21 | 9 AM–12 PM
📍 Delta Hotel, Sault Ste. Marie

Bring your laptop and work directly on your own website during the session.

Register today to save your spot!

If your business isn’t coming up in an AI-powered search, you’re missing potential customers.

09/02/2026

We are bringing Gavan Acton to Sault Ste. Marie to explain what actually drives business growth.

In 90 minutes, he will cover the three things that decide whether a business grows:

- Building and communicating your value proposition
- Pricing your services for the value they deliver
- Keeping the customers you have and growing from them

You will work on your own numbers and leave with something you can use that week. It is completely free to attend.
September 17 at 1 PM, The Water Tower Inn

Register here!

Ninety minutes with Gavan Acton on the numbers behind growth: which marketing worked, what to charge, and why customers leave.

09/01/2026

We’re excited to introduce the BBAA Workshop Series for Algoma-Manitoulin, running from September through April of 2027.

Designed around local business needs, the series will offer hands-on learning, practical AI applications, and guidance to help businesses keep up with the evolving technology landscape and use AI effectively and responsibly.

Our first workshop is coming September 21. Stay tuned for details!

08/29/2026

Join the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre for a free, one-hour virtual panel on Thursday, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟮:𝟬𝟬 𝗽.𝗺. 𝗘𝗗𝗧.

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸:
• How data centres vary in size, purpose, energy use, cooling needs, land requirements, and community impact
• Why grid capacity, water, workforce, and local infrastructure shape where they can succeed
• The benefits, trade-offs, and practical considerations worth understanding
• How this connects to AI, digital sovereignty, economic development, and Northern Ontario's future

Moderated by Sandra Moore, GCB.D (Executive Director, SSMIC), with Taylor Trecroce (SSMIC), Daniel Featherstone (Fresh Water Research / Lake Huron North, SSMIC), and David Pickup (Director of Electricity, Pembina Institute). Additional panelists to be announced.

This is a balanced, informational session, not advocacy for or against any specific project. Submit a question when you register, or ask one live in the chat.

Free and open to all. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/data-centres-in-northern-ontario-panel-tickets-1999120566429

Visual for this post created by a human at SSMIC using Claude AI.

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag