Curious about the tenants at Innovation Place?
Check out our Meet the Tenants series to learn more about them and what they do.

---

Meet the Tenants

Kinemek

Tell us about Kinemek!

Kinemek’s team specializes in designing products requiring innovative mechanical solutions. Our focus has been mostly in mining and ag-tech sectors. If our client has an idea, we will transform their idea into a functional, commercial product. We help make our clients’ dreams come true.

Why do you love working in Saskatchewan?

People in Saskatchewan value relationships and don’t treat you as number, but as person. This makes doing business easier and enjoyable, as client’s and suppliers are great to work with. Business relationships feel more like friendships where we are all working together to get the job done well.

At Kinemek, we work closely and often with our clients, welcoming them into every step of the product development process to ensure they are getting the best possible solution.

What are the chall­enges of working in Saskat­chewan?

To be honest, we haven’t encountered very many hurdles in Saskatchewan that prevent us from doing business. Only one example comes to mind of difficulty finding a space for Kinemek to do the unique work we do. I called up Innovation Place and ever since, their help has been crucial for Kinemek in every step of its growth.

I remembered when we first moved to the park, we were (and still are) amazed by how beautiful is. Like other startups, Kinemek had a very limited cash flow at its beginning. Innovation Place found us a perfect place at the LFK Building with a rent structure that could work for us, complete and ready to move in without any renovations required. When we grew, Kinemek needed a larger office space with a workshop that had a bay door. Wonderfully, Innovation Place found a perfect space to fulfil all Kinemek’s needs. We are truly thankful Saskatchewan has Innovation Place, which has helped Kinemek and many other companies to get established and grow to what they are now.

What does the future of Saskatchewan tech look like to you?

Saskatchewan has a lot of tech that is recognized worldwide as some of the best. The future is brighter for the growth of much more technology conceived here to become world renowned, and incubators like Innovation Place help make it easier for that to happen. Government programs that help fund new technology developments also help companies like Kinemek considerably. Kinemek wants to grow to become a world-renowned product designer that is known for its innovative products that help solve problems, both large and small.

How does Innovation Place help you thrive in Saskatchewan’s tech sector?

To make Innovation Place home was one of the best business decisions we have made. Kinemek has thrived in Innovation Place largely because of their resources and flexibility to meet both our changing needs and variety of needs. For example, when we needed extra temporary space for client meetings or assembling a product, Innovation Place was able to provide it for us.

Innovation Place even looks after the little things, so we don’t have to. For that, we give a big thanks to our janitorial, maintenance and security services. We especially love the Lunch & Learn program, which has provided valuable knowledge to us. Even some of our clients are in Innovation Place, which makes working with them convenient.

Where’s your favourite spot at Innovation Place?

This is a very hard question, as there are many. If I have to choose one spot, my family loves the fish pond in the Galleria building.

What’s the best advice you can give to people?

Here are three things that can hopefully help those in product design:

1. Don’t give up. If you truly believe in your idea, don’t be discouraged if others don’t. You may need to adjust your idea to suit changing conditions and needs, but don’t ever give up.
2. Find out exactly what the client / customer wants and deliver the solution that meets their expectations. This will require observation of the problem first hand and digging deep to understand the problem by asking good questions. Once the development of the solution has started, work closely with the client, meeting regularly to ensure what they want is not going off track. If a better solution presents itself, suggest it to the client, as they want the best solution possible and may want the design to incorporate it.
3. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Come up with new ideas and test them to see if they can work. Just a simple prototype will do. If it fails, you have valuable information to help come up with even a better idea.

---

Subscribe to the Scene newsletter for the latest information on Innovation Place and our tenants.


- 2020