The intelliF LEX Innovation Alliance and the Smart Textile and Wearables Innovation Alliance (STWIA) have reached an agreement whereby intelliFLEX has assumed leadership of the STWIA as part of a new initiative to drive Canada’s wearables and smart textiles industry.
 
STWIA was launched as part of the National Research Council of Canada’s (NRC) work in printable electronics, with 19 members in April 2016 as part of its industry engagement to foster ecosystem, job and wealth growth.
 
The STWIA now represents some 90 members across the country consisting of companies, universities, government and not-for-profit organizations. Past activities have included webinars and regional gatherings in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.
 
After holding consultations on how the STWIA should structure itself moving forward, members voted in July to join intelliFLEX. One third of intelliFLEX’s 100 members work with smart textiles and wearables.
 
intelliWEAR is a wearables and smart textiles accelerator program. Its goal is to bring together effective supply chain stakeholders to create awareness, educate, and facilitate the broad adoption of solutions enabled by printable, flexible or hybrid electronics for sports, fashion, healthcare and industrial applications.
 
The program will be managed by the intelliWEAR Leadership Council, which is being formed in September to represent key stakeholders.
 
“This is an exciting time for the smart textile and wearables sector in Canada, and joining IntelliFLEX, a professional industry association, demonstrates the maturity of the sector,” said Thomas Ducellier, executive director of printable electronics. “Through intelliWEAR, members will be able to build bespoke programs, lobby government and help the sector scale in Canada.”
 
“We value the close working relationship we have always had with the NRC,” said Peter Kallai, president and CEO of intelliFLEX. “Thomas and his team have laid a great foundation on which to build a strong ecosystem to support the growth of the wearables and smart textiles sector across Canada, tied into the US and into global markets. We welcome STWIA members and look forward to working with them through the intelliWEAR Leadership Council.”
 
The NRC will continue to be engaged as a participant and key partner with intelliFLEX and intelliWEAR. To kick things off, intelliFLEX and the NRC are hosting two STWIA Workshop | IntelliWEAR Leadership Council launch events in September:
• Toronto ON, Sept. 19, Centennial College: intelliWEAR EAST Leadership Council and Workshop.
• Burnaby BC, Sept. 29, Simon Fraser University: intelliWEAR WEST Leadership Council and Workshop.