SMST KEYNOTE: Ibraheem Khan, Smarter Alloys: Lessons for entrepreneurs from the Smartarch™ story
Founder, President & CEO, Smarter Alloys Inc.
Dr. Ibraheem Khan is the president and chief executive officer of Smarter Alloys, a Waterloo-based company he founded to commercialize his doctoral thesis and invention of the Multiple Memory Material (MMM). Dr. Khan has a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Toronto and subsequently completed his Master’s and Doctoral degrees at the University of Waterloo. Smarter Alloys’ technology enables shape memory alloys (SMAs) to become smarter, lighter, more reliable and capable in a range of commercial and industrial applications. Multiple applications of the technology have been commercialised, including the SmartArch orthodontic arch wires that have treated over 50,000 patients and is manufactured in Ontario. Additional disruptive applications of this technology poised for commercialisation include low grade waste heat capture, actuators and haptic/sensing devices.
Commercialization of Shape Memory Alloy Technologies: From Innovation to Invoice
Since its discovery in the 1960’s, the unique properties of shape memory alloys (SMA’s) continue to make an enormous impact on mankind, from lifesaving medical devices to space exploration. Compared to conventional materials such as bronze and steel that have existed for centuries, SMA’s are in their infancy. New advances in composition, functionality and application are rapidly being developed in commercial and academic labs around the world. To realize the potential impact SMA’s can have on humanity; commercial adoption is a crucial step. Commercialisation is a time-critical and complex process with constantly changing variables that don’t seemingly adhere to scientific principles. Hence, embarking on such a journey can be daunting; however, a successful completion can be highly rewarding. The current presentation will detail some of the intricacies involved in commercialising SMA technologies while drawing on Smarter Alloys experience through this process.