Lab2Market Validate Foundations
Lab2Market Validate Foundations is a free three-day online intensive training program aimed at providing researchers (faculty, students, recent graduates) with a comprehensive understanding of the process and best practices for taking research from lab to market.
Developed as part of the national Lab2Market (L2M) initiative, the program introduces core approaches to early-stage validation, including identifying problems, understanding users, and testing assumptions.
Through a series of facilitated online sessions over three days, Validate Foundations provides a structured space for participants to reflect on their work and consider where it might exist beyond academic or studio settings. Participants work through practical exercises, group discussions, and guided frameworks, applying concepts directly to their own projects, research, or areas of interest.
Upon completion, participants will possess the knowledge necessary to bring their ideas to the marketplace and strategically position their projects to align with various opportunities within the ecosystem including Lab2Market’s Validate program, incubator and accelerator programs, and public innovation grants.
Program Objectives
Participants will:
- Learn how to identify and frame real-world problems and opportunities
- Develop early skills in customer discovery and user research
- Test assumptions and explore potential applications of their work
- Gain insight into pathways beyond academic or studio-based outcomes
Validate Foundations also serves as an entry point into the broader Lab2Market pathway, with opportunities to continue into advanced programs such as Validate and Launch.
Program Details
Format: Online (live sessions)
Duration: 9 hours total across 3 days
Cost: Free
Eligibility
Validate Foundations is open to students (undergraduate, masters, PhD, post-doc, certificate, diploma, continuing studies), recent graduates (within 2 years), faculty, and researchers affiliated with Canadian post-secondary institutions including artists, designers, and creative practitioners working within or alongside academic contexts.
No prior experience in entrepreneurship or commercialization is required.
How To Apply
The upcoming Validate Foundations Pacific – Fall 2026 Cohort will be delivered by UBC on September 8, 9, and 10, 2026.
Click to apply. Deadline to apply is September 4, 2026.