Veneration of a Friend

The first contact between Dr. Orson Bourne and I was via phone from Vancouver to Ottawa. I had read in Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper an article in its business section describing the National Research Council of Canada’s (NRC) achievement of creating a process that could commercially scale production of highly conductive nanotubes and having a general understanding of the importance of this news and the potential arising environmental benefits, energy efficiency and industrial opportunities, I reached out and spoke with Dr. Benoit Simard and Dr. Orson Bourne. The two were good friends and worked closely together at the NRC, Benoit in formulating nano material science and Dr. Bourne, as the NRC Commercialization Director, worked with leading sectors of Canadian and international industry to bring the NRC’s science commercially forward for the benefit of Canada and its trading partners. Orson, with a Doctorate in Laser Physics, was the enthusiastic brilliant scientist also steeped in nano material science, who could sell the vision of the future with deep knowledge together his vibrant passion to create the commercial deals.

Within a month or so of our first phone contact, I took up the entrepreneurial task of pursuing the idea of applying carbon nano tubes to a process as-yet then unknown, to create a far superior electrical conductor. This new business effort brought Orson and I closer together. He holds 10 intellectual property patents and well along the way on his research path he became committed to the need to see the fruits of science bring lasting legacies of environmental and social benefits to humanity and with his inner entrepreneur engaged, he switched his attention from pure research and became the NRC ‘s Commercialization Director.

We finally met a year or so after our first call when Orson arrived at British Columbia Hydro’s subsidiary Power Tech Labs for a September 10:00 AM Board Room meeting. He and Benoit had the usual challenges of flying in from Ottawa and making haste to attend a Monday morning 10:00 AM meeting. They were a bit late and a few of us were standing about, talking, and looking out the second story window when both Benoit and Orson came around the corner in to view. Orson stride and pace were very energetic; here was a guy arriving to get things done. When they entered Powertech Lab’s board room they were greeted by the senior operating and research executives of BC Hydro.

Our meeting’s agenda was to hear from Dr. Bourne and Dr. Benoit on the phenomenal electrical potential of carbon nano tubes and to present British Columbia’s electrical grid’s capacities and looking into its future strategic its needs. Was there a role for a proposed nano metallic matrix transmission line? After 5 hours of discussion the executive in charge of BC’s transmission system was asked his thoughts on the idea of a nano metallic matrix transmission lines for BC and his reply cemented the commercial opportunity for such a line. He responded, “I never realized how advanced this technology is” and the meeting Chair replied, “If such a line was available would you buy it for the BC Grid”; the reply from BC Hydro was “yes, if could be delivered at a competitive price, it met the performance characteristics we have discussed today and it could be delivered on time”. Orson’s pitch had sold the vision of an electrical conductor technology that potentially could save vast amounts of energy and contribute a massive environmental legacy for generations to come. His mission to take science to the marketplace for the benefit of humanity had moved a long stride forward. 

However, as life goes, the NRC reorganized its departments, and Orson decided to take early retirement and work with his family company BGEI – a fitting vehicle to continue his vision. With the knowledge that a high conductivity performance and light weight/high strength capability nano metallic matrix transmission line once available, would meet with commercial success, BBCP Conductor Inc. was formed to advance Project Green Conductor.

Its well known amongst entrepreneurs that it’s no easy task to bring a new product to market and more so especially, to bring a superior electrical conductor to market that that has been pursued by science for 150 years and has yet to be invented. It’s a very big lift with long odds. Such was the task that BBCP took on and it brought my life into a very close business and friendship relationship with Dr. Bourne that required the inspiration and intuition of an artist, the finest skills of craftsmanship imaginable and the wise and deft abilities of a consummate technocrat with soul; Orson had all these skills and more; he had the character that determines destiny.

The trials of moving pure never been done before scientific research to success are stunning. They are financial, human, social, psychological, physical and spiritual and all of it demands a relentlessly determined, intelligent, sensitive and focused character. Sometimes on the edge of making a research failure, some ideas arise with the power of salvation to pull the ship back from the edge of the world and out of the stormy entrepreneurial seas into real progress and knowledgeable informed growth towards the foundation of scientific truth that sets the next platform for success and that renews the research teams’ spirit. Amidst all of this, a steady pilot’s hands on the tiller asks the right questions, accepts the teams’ new ideas without judgment and his mind racing ahead asks; “hold, hold, hold on” and then sets a review that brings all to the right course going forward, building logically step by step. The goals have been reset in such a way as to not get lost. Orson does that but never shuts the door to the evolution of discovery, the asking of simple and complex questions, learning from the next failure, and turning all of it into more discovery. Even when weary and stressed, Orson is always available and he never loses that balance in his relationship with the discovery team and then, a confident calm and renewed curiosity and excitement returns to the teams’ next work steps. It takes a lot of talent to do that.

BBCP Conductor Inc. has come a very long way from its humble ambitious start many years ago. Its entrepreneurial science and the business capacity has become as good as any company in its field in the world. It has broken through centuries long barriers in science, seized on the virtual world and pivoted and adapted at every challenging business turn to maintain growth and success. Dr. Bourne’s character, intellect, artistic talent, craftsmanship, adaptability, drive, and determination are at the heart of our success. He is respected and loved by our team at BBCP.  It’s a honor to work with him to bring an environmental and social legacy to our world and for all of us to call him our friend.