Fortunately, KnowCharge Inc. of Fredericton is promoting a solution: static protection woven into the fibre of paper that converts into boxes, bags, and trays.

 

In March, KnowCharge won second prize and $50,000 in the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation’s Breakthru business plan competition. (The foundation later invested $100,000 more.) That same night a call came from one of the oldest manufacturers of static-control products for electronics, ALX Technical of Concord, Ont. 

 

“It was a complete surprise, and our first potential customer and strategic partner,” says KnowCharge president Robert Morrow. ALX president Ralph Cilevitz was doing an Internet search on static control and found a CBC-TV story about the company. "He got my name from the story, did a 411 search, and called my house," says Morrow. "My wife gave him my cellphone number and he called me right there, in the middle of the award ceremony. Talk about good timing—it was a little bit of  serendipity.”

 

ALX Technical services such companies as Celestica, IBM, and Honeywell. “I’ve been in this industry for 30 years, and new products don’t come along very often,” says ALX president Ralph Cilivetz. “KnowCharge is bringing something innovative and exciting that will enable electronic manufacturers to reduce costs.” 

 

Morrow was introduced to the technology while doing his MBA at the University of New Brunswick. The protective packaging was invented and patented by UNB professor Yonghao Ni. With the support of the university’s Activator Program, AIF, and NBIF, Morrow obtained a licence to use Ni’s process and started KnowCharge.

 

Considering the state of the region’s forestry industry, and the need to add value to paper products, KnowCharge could become a key player in the New Brunswick economy.