November 23, 2023
Two UBC researchers have been awarded Commercialization and Exceptional Leadership awards by Mitacs. The Mitacs Awards celebrate Canada’s top talent — students, professors and business owners who are driving research and development and a thriving Canadian economy through their partnership with Mitacs and participation in Mitacs-funded programs.
Mitacs Award for Commercialization: Matthew Mitchell
Given to a student or postdoctoral fellow for an idea brought from research that is now available on the market (or has strong support that it is soon to be commercialized).
Mitacs program: Accelerate
Matthew Mitchell, a postdoctoral researcher in the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute at the University of British Columbia, was awarded the Mitacs Award for Commercialization for his work to advance a new era in microchips that use photons (light) instead of electrons. Mitchell’s breakthrough — a unique method for 3D printing optical structures called wave guides — solves a critical packaging challenge facing the emerging photonics industry, making it possible to reliably and efficiently connect photonic chips to other components, and opening up new possibilities for quantum computing, faster and smarter wearable devices, and self-driving vehicles.
Mitacs Awards for Exceptional Leadership — Professor: Bern Klein
Given to an academic supervisor with an exemplary record of developing collaborations with industry and other partners, providing valuable research and training experiences to their interns and initiating research projects with significant outcomes through their Mitacs funding.
Prof. Bern Klein is a mineral process engineer and professor in the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering at the University of British Columbia. He was awarded the Mitacs Award for Exceptional Leadership—Professor for his ongoing work to foster collaboration and develop disruptive technologies in Canada’s mining sector, including intelligent excavating shovels capable of sensing the quality of materials being mined in real time, and more efficient, high-tech ore crushing methods that reduce energy usage by 50 percent or more.
Mitacs is honoured to play a pivotal role in empowering industry leaders across Canada to foster game-changing ideas, and we couldn’t be more pleased to celebrate their significant achievements with these awards
Mitacs CEO John Hepburn
Read the Mitacs announcement.