Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Department of Justice (Canada)

Technology Transfer Award

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lethbridge Research Centre / Department of Justice (Canada)

---

For the challenging process of transferring and commercializing the Visual Particle Analysis System (VPAS) technology, and its application to Acurum™.

Glenn H. Coulter / Bert Innes / Eric G. Kokko
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Stan Benda
Department of Justice (Canada)

So often in the world of R&D, persistence and fortitude pay off. This was certainly the case with the commercialization team at the Lethbridge Research Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada who, over a gruelling 18 months, negotiated the world-wide license for the application of their platform technology with technology giant DuPont Canada Ltd.

Developed by Eric Kokko at the AAFC, the "Visual Particle Analysis System" (VPAS) is a marvel of intelligent technology — an artificial intelligence-driven image analysis platform that can view and analyse the characteristics of thousands of tiny objects in less time than it takes to read this page. The first major application of this technology is Acurum™, a system that uses machine vision to measure over 340 individual characteristics on each of 10,000 kernels of grain or seeds in less than 2 minutes.

Unlike human sorting, the VPAS can easily and consistently identify diseased or damaged seeds or kernels without having to rely on subjective analysis. Results are repeatable, not subject to transcription error, and blindingly fast. As a platform technology, it is also a system that can be adapted to a multiplicity of uses — biological or not — simply by changing the criteria that are loaded into the operating system. As Eric Kokko explains, it's "a very unique capturing of a process".

The power of the VPAS is complemented by a suite of Internet-based services that allow for continuous system upgrades, quality control and product tracking. Information from various Acurum™ units is uploaded every evening into a central database, stored on DuPont servers. At the same time, information flows the other way, as upgrades are downloaded overnight. The result is a product tracking and information management system that keeps on learning. Equally important, the result is a means by which Canada can dramatically enhance its ability to market agricultural and other products under very stringent specifications, guaranteeing high quality, safe food products.

The launch of Acurum™ caps what was often an arduous process. Initially, the AAFC team had solicited proposals from industry to complete the R&D and commercialize the product. No companies expressed interest. Several months of additional searching and many meetings later, DuPont Canada made some enquiries about the technology, and the long courtship began. Repeated presentations and product demonstrations convinced DuPont of the technology's potential. Then it was DuPont's turn to provide a proposed business plan and financial statements.

In total, the negotiations with DuPont Canada took 18 months, and included a scientific and business assessment of the technology, extensive due diligence on both sides, and intensive, complex contract negotiations. As the commercialization team explains, all of this "tested not only our professional skills, but their interpersonal abilities, communication talents, tenacity, patience and insights, not to mention humour".

The sole, world-wide licensing agreement was signed for the platform, plus one seed application, in May 2002. The agreement includes requirements for development and manufacturing of Acurum™ by Canadian companies, and provides benefits to both Canada and DuPont. Of greatest benefit to the team, however, is the feeling of satisfaction at having taken on such a task and stuck with it. Dr. Glenn Coulter, head of the commercialization team, sums up the process: "It was quite an adventure."

Sponsored by:
Stargate Consultants Ltd.