SAINT JOHN - New Brunswick's brightest minds and smartest firms are looking for the right match.

Whether it's collaboration, technology transfer, partnering or even just a chance to let potential customers know about their unique products and services, researchers, scientists, academics and IT companies are hoping to connect with others during the first-ever New Brunswick Innovation Forum this week.

The forum is being organized by the National Research Council and is being supported by the University of New Brunswick, ThinkNB, the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation and the New Brunswick Business Council, among others.

"It's not a trade show, it's a business event," says Sharon Wahl, organizer of the event. "It's a two-day, really match-making style event."

Wahl estimates that roughly 39 firms, academics, scientists and researchers will participate in the innovation forum, which is scheduled for Oct. 28 to the 29 at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre.

"Some of them are looking for funding, some of them are looking for collaboration partners, some have technologies that they're looking to either license or sell," she said. "There are opportunities for almost everyone."

About 150 people are expected to attend the event. Information on the forum can be found at innovation2008.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.

The NRC's Information Technology Centre in Fredericton is working closely with the provincial government on clusters such as life sciences and advanced learning technologies.

Wahl said the innovation forum was inspired in part by a similar event in Heidelberg, Germany.

Representatives from the First Angel Network, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, GrowthWorks Atlantic and the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation will also be participating in the forum. There will also be experts from California's Silicon Valley, Boston, Virginia and Germany.

"They're going to talk about international opportunities and networks that could be open to New Brunswick companies."

Wahl said she hopes the forum will enable New Brunswick researchers and firms to make the connections they need to grow their businesses or bring their technologies to market. The forum may be the first of many - depending on feedback from participants, she said.

The forum was scheduled in advance of ThinkNB, a trade show for technology firms in New Brunswick.

"We felt this event would compliment the ThinkNB ICT showcase," she said. "The ideal situation would be to have a presenter speak at the forum and then have a booth at ThinkNB where people coudl then follow-up with them."