TORONTO, ON – March 11, 2020 – Myant Inc., industry leader in textile computing, has partnered with URtech Manufacturing Inc., Toronto-based provider of electronics manufacturing services, to produce the first commercial-scale run of electronic components for Skiin, Myant’s textile-based solution for connecting people to care.
By partnering with another Toronto-based company, Myant is creating a local ecosystem to accelerate innovation in textile, positioning Toronto as the geographical centre of the textile computing industry. Manufacturing of the first production run of 15,000 Skiin Pods has commenced at URtech’s facility in the Greater Toronto Area, a critical milestone on Myant’s journey towards a public beta launch for Skiin.
Textile computing involves the integration of electronics within textiles, creating new ways for people to interface with the digital world. Commercial-scale applications of textile computing, such as the clothes made by Skiin that can measure the wellbeing of a loved one (www.skiin.com), are made possible only through deep collaboration between designers, engineers, textile specialists, electronics manufacturers, health practitioners, and other experts.
Even in the rare instances when such expertise is available within the same organization, the teams and the infrastructure needed to support their work are typically disconnected and scattered across the globe, making rapid iteration and innovation practically impossible.
Myant, focused on the desire to make textile computing commercially viable, recognized this challenge and has worked over the past decade to develop the end-to-end capability to innovate in textile computing.
Identifying the need to work in a connected way with an electronic components manufacturer, Myant partnered with URtech as it begins to scale up manufacturing for its commercial launch of Skiin.
URtech brings a long track record of reliable EMS and OEM manufacturing experience, combined with an innovative and collaborative spirit that has enabled Myant to iterate with greater agility. The first commercial run of electronics for Skiin is under way at URtech’s Burlington-based facility, a quick 30-minute drive from Myant’s facility. Both Myant and URtech are ISO 13485 certified for the manufacturing of medical devices.
“Connectedness is a critical ingredient for innovation and building a network of local partners helps us innovate with agility,” said Tony Chahine, founder and CEO of Myant. “Not only does this partnership between Myant and URtech signal the commercial arrival of textile computing, it also shows that the advanced manufacturing industry is on its way towards bringing the ‘culture of making’ back to Canada.”
Reflecting on the partnership, URtech CEO Greg Gehl says “URtech is proud to partner with Myant to help productize their breakthrough textile computing technology and to enhance our overall manufacturing capabilities to further support the expanding Canadian medical device market sector.”
This partnership is one step in Myant’s broader effort to build a local ecosystem of value chain partners – going from yarn to garment to integrated electronic system to clinically validated outcome – in order to accelerate innovation and shorten time to market. Other key milestones in the plan were achieved last year when Myant announced agreements with PACE at Southlake Regional Health Centre and with KITE Research Institute at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (a member of University Health Network) for the clinical validation of textile computing solutions.
In addition, this collaboration is an example of how local companies, institutions and non-for-profit organizations are working together to bring the culture of making back to Canada via advanced manufacturing. NGen (Next Generation Manufacturing Canada), a non-profit organization on a mission to position Canada as a leader in advanced manufacturing, has been at the forefront of this effort.
“NGen is exceptionally proud to support this world-leading initiative in smart textile manufacturing. This partnership between two Canadian innovators is a fantastic example of the world-leading manufacturing and technology capabilities that we have in our own backyard,” said Jayson Myers, CEO of NGen. “Our hope is that this project serves as a beacon for more Canadian companies to consider the benefits of home-grown partnerships to enable growth, share risk, enhance global competitiveness, and make a real difference for Canadians.”
For more information, please contact:
Ilaria Varoli
Executive Vice President
ilaria.varoli@myant.ca
About Myant Inc.
Myant has created the world’s first textile computing platform that continuously and ambiently connects people to their bodies, to each other, and to the world around them. Using connected textiles that can sense and react to the human body and a platform that enables machine learning driven health and performance outcomes, Myant is on a mission to transform human connectedness. With an extensive patent portfolio, key exclusive relationships within the textile computing industry, a multidisciplinary team of researchers, engineers, data scientists, fashion designers and knitting specialists, and over 80,000 ft² of textile manufacturing capacity, Myant is changing the way people across society connect. Connect with us to find out how we can help you create innovative solutions powered by connected textiles and the Myant Platform.
Visit www.myant.ca to learn more.
About Skiin
Whether you just want to know if Dad is feeling alright without having to ask or you want to delve deeper into how sleep patterns are affecting heart health, Skiin keeps you close to what matters most. Using textiles that can sense and react to the human body and machine learning on the Myant Platform that continuously analyzes and manages your biometric data, Skiin enables a new way of connecting to your loved ones, their health, wellbeing, safety and care regardless of distance, time, or ability.
All of this is possible and it is as simple as changing the clothes you wear.
Visit www.skiin.com to learn more.
About URtech Manufacturing Inc.
URtech Manufacturing is a North American full-service Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider headquartered in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. URtech provides end-to-end electronics manufacturing services including global supply chain management expertise, design support services (DFM/DFT/DFX), complex product assembly/test, and logistical support. URtech helps transform our customers’ product ideation from concept to commercialization by leveraging our “URecosystem” of internal and external partner capabilities to advance product ideas from prototype to full-scale production: quickly, safely, and cost effectively.
Your tech, our responsibility.
Visit www.urtechmfg.com to learn more.
About NGen
NGen is the industry-led not-for-profit organization that leads Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster. Its mandate is to help build world-leading advanced manufacturing capabilities in Canada for the benefit of Canadians. NGen works to strengthen collaboration among its membership of more than 3,100 manufacturers, technology companies, innovation centres, and researchers, and provides funding and business support to industry-led initiatives that aim to develop, apply, or scale up transformative manufacturing solutions in Canada for commercialization in global markets.
