NATI Launches Innovation Week 2020, and Unveils New Brand for Tech Sector

Oct 19, 2020 | News

News Release

NATI Launches Innovation Week 2020, and Unveils New Brand for Tech Sector

October 19, 2020 – St. John’s, NL:  The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology and Innovation (NATI) is pleased to officially launch Innovation Week 2020. Running from October 19-22, the theme of this year’s event is Opportunity in Uncertainty and showcases the cutting-edge work with an impressive global reach and significant impact on the economy. Throughout the week attendees will hear from business and tech influencers, industry experts, innovation leaders, post-secondary students and government officials.

“NATI is thrilled to bring Innovation Week to our members and stakeholders this year, as we celebrate the continued growth of our sector and the endless possibilities for the future of NL’s technology and innovation industry,” said Craig Rowe, CEO of ClearRisk and NATI Board Chair. “The virtual platform we adopted this year, given the global COVID-19 pandemic, still allows for quality information sharing and impactful networking.”

Today’s launch included remarks from Craig Rowe, NATI CEO, Paul Preston and the Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of NL. Astronaut candidate Bethany Downer delivered the keynote presentation underlining the message that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can live and thrive in the province in a vibrant innovation economy.

On Tuesday, key technology leaders will explore the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on the province’s technology and innovation sector on a panel with the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Natural Resources and the Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology. Cathy Bennett moderates Wednesday’s discussion about the Pandemic Pivot and how local companies have successfully adjusted their business models to respond to COVID-19.

A highlight of the week features an exciting virtual networking event for post-secondary students and tech companies. Students will visit virtual booths and engage with local company representatives to learn about the vast employment opportunities in the sector.

At today’s launch event, NATI also unveiled its new brand. Over the next several weeks, NATI will fully transition to the new name techNL.

“Today, as we kick-off Innovation Week 2020, we are excited to launch a fresh new brand for our organization,” said Preston, “The new name techNL better represents our commitment to members and the NL tech sector as a whole. Our focus remains on technology enabled innovation which reaches all sectors of the economy.”

For more information on Innovation Week visit the web site: https://innovationweeknl.ca/.

Media Contact:

Marlayne Hardy
Director of Innovation Programs
NATI
709-330-7122
marlayne@nati.net