Innovation
Queen鈥檚 is named an academic leader in fostering entrepreneurship
November 12, 2024
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Queen鈥檚 has been named one of the top 50 academic institutions for promoting innovation and entrepreneurship by Fast Company and Inc., which are both media outlets covering business and innovation. Their inaugural co-published list, known as Ignition Schools, ranks universities based on a variety of factors, including the number of alumni who have founded companies, the amount of venture capital funding received for alumni ventures, and the number of new startups and technology licenses that have been initiated through the school.
Queen鈥檚 was ranked 50th on the list, and was one of five Canadian universities included. The 50 top institutions were chosen out of approximately 900 potential honourees.
鈥淨ueen鈥檚 is committed to fostering a culture that encourages students and researchers to develop bold ideas and use entrepreneurship to realize their full potential,鈥 says Jim Banting, Assistant Vice-Principal (Partnerships and Innovation). 鈥淢embers of our university community are bringing game-changing innovations to the public to improve our society, and we鈥檙e honored that the Ignition Schools list is recognizing that Queen鈥檚 is a leader in cultivating the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.鈥
A major driver of support for entrepreneurship at the university is the Dunin-Deshpande Queen鈥檚 Innovation Centre (DDQIC), which has helped launch more than 200 ventures since its inception. Founded in 2012, DDQIC aims to catalyze innovation at Queen鈥檚, in Kingston, and beyond by supporting entrepreneurial initiatives with incubator programs, workshops, courses, and pitch competitions.
鈥淎t DDQIC, we鈥檙e continually amazed by the high-quality innovations developed by members of the campus community,鈥 says Greg Bavington, Executive Director, DDQIC. 鈥淭hrough a wide range of initiatives we鈥檙e committed to helping them find a way to turn the visions they have for their ideas into reality.鈥
Learn more on the DDQIC website, and find out more about the rankings at and