Craig Urton

Craig Urton can say the game of golf is what started him on his career path into the biotechnology industry. In high school, Urton worked on a golf course and thought he wanted to be a course superintendent. So instead of doing the technical college route, he thought a degree in plant sciences at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) might better prepare him. And as university tends to do, he soon became aware of other opportunities. So Urton travelled around British Columbia and Saskatchewan, building golf courses, but when it took him away from home too much, he changed pathways. After working as a lab technician for scientific companies, Urton decided it was time to go back to school.

A few years later, Urton was finishing up his MBA at the U of S when he saw an ad for the WestLink Technology Commercialization Internship Program. The idea of commercializing ideas and technology piqued his interest, so he went into the program with his eyes open to see what kind of prospects might lie ahead.

Urton’s first placement in 2001 at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Center in Saskatoon saw him assisting researchers with industry collaborations. His focus was on agricultural bio products, such as natural pesticides or health products made from plants.

“It was interesting trying to bridge that gap between pure research and working with industry,” says Urton. “There is definitely a need for business-oriented people to bridge that gap—there are different nuances and you need to know each sector.”

Next Urton went to Foragen Technologies Management, a venture capital firm that helps commercialize early-stage, advanced agricultural technologies from Canadian sources. As a venture capital analyst, Urton was on the other side of the fence from his first placement. “Traditionally, venture capital firms don’t invest in early-stage opportunities so it was important to build a relationship with the researchers and their respective institutions,” says Urton. “Except this time you are on the other end of the decision-making spectrum.”

Urton’s final placement was with Cevena Bioproducts, a University of Alberta spin-off company based in Edmonton that manufactured technically advanced grain-based ingredients for the functional food and dietary supplement industries. Since his former company, Foragen, had invested in Cevena, Urton was already familiar with the business. And considering the company was literally just getting off the ground, Urton did a little bit of everything from setting up the accounting system to applying for grants.

“The hardest part about building a company is finding the right people and getting all the pieces in place,” says Urton. “When you are working with early-stage technology, you need the
resources to bring the technology to fruition. There are a lot of bumps in the road, especially in the life science sector so it turned out to be a really good learning experience.”

Urton stayed with Cevena for a few years before a stint with Global IQ, a clinical research company that works with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. He then moved to AVAC Ltd, a private, not-for-profit company that invests in research initiatives and early-stage commercial businesses. As an investment manager, Urton investigates which ideas or products should receive investment for commercialization. “There is certainly no shortage of opportunities to look at here in Alberta—it’s a matter of finding the highest quality initiatives,” he says.

Looking back now Urton knows that on his own, he would never have been able to get the kind of training and experience he did without the WestLink program. “It accelerates you in the industry,” he says. “It would have taken me 10 years to build up contacts and to get ahead in the industry. The program shortens that gap by providing excellent networking opportunities and giving you the contacts you need to jumpstart your career.”