Charles Deguire
ÉTS Entrepreneur Ambassador
President and CEO and Co-Founder, Kinova Robotics
Charles Deguire is the passionate creative mind behind Kinova, a robotics company he co-founded while studying for a bachelor’s degree at ÉTS. The spark that ignited his exceptional journey first appeared in childhood, when three of his uncles were suffering from spinal amyotrophy, a degenerative condition that results in the loss of muscle use. That was when he developed a strong desire to help people with disabilities. Today, Kinova is a world-class company dedicated to increasing productivity and improving people’s quality of life through robotics. His accomplishments have earned him a reputation as a leader in modern robotics.
Education at ÉTS
- Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering (2007)
Areas of expertise
- Entrepreneurship
- Robotics (assistive technologies, research, and medicine)
Awards and distinctions
- 2020 : ÉTS Entrepreneur Ambassador Award
- 2014 : Innovation Award | Ernest C. Manning Foundation
- 2016 Governor General’s Innovation Awards | Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
- 2018 : UQ 50th Anniversary Medal (outstanding contribution to an alma mater through action and commitment) | Université du Québec
Additional information
- 2017–2019 : Chair of the Advanced Manufacturing Table, one of six industry-specific Economic Strategy Tables (federal initiative)