College-industry partnerships demonstrate the power of research
BARRIE, ONTARIO — When research is transferred from the lab to address business challenges, products and processes are made more efficient, environmentally friendly and economical. From reducing the ecological costs of electronic waste to streamlining food production systems, college-industry collaborations lead to real-world solutions.
Today at Georgian College, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, announced investments of over $12 million in research infrastructure through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) College-Industry Innovation Fund (CIIF). This fund helps colleges both enhance their partnerships with the private sector and create news ones, generating socioeconomic benefits locally and nationally, and providing opportunities for a new generation of innovators.
Among the institutions receiving funding is Red River College in Winnipeg, which will expand their aerospace and training facilities to engage industry and train students.
The Cégep régional de Lanaudière will develop adapted equipment for parasport athletes. The project will require a range of expertise in biomechanics, industrial design, physiology and more. Increasing knowledge in these areas will help lead to benefits for other people with limited mobility.
“The power of research is exemplified when it is applied to tackle real-world problems. Whether addressing the development of novel agri-food products or expanding the frontiers of aerospace and manufacturing technologies, researchers at colleges and polytechnics are well equipped to partner with industry to help boost Canadian innovation,” says Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and CEO of the CFI.
A portion of the funding is in partnership with the Innovation Enhancement Grants component of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s College and Community Innovation Program which helps cover research costs in addition to infrastructure provided by the CFI.
College-Industry Innovation Fund (CIIF) – Stream 1
| Institution | Project title | Maximum CFI contribution |
| Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe | Détection de Contamination par Fluorescence | 72 000 $ |
| Cégep de Sorel-Tracy | Les fluides supercritiques appliqués aux problématiques environnementales : nouveau laboratoire pilote à Sorel-Tracy | 999 786 $ |
| Cégep de Thetford | Pilotage de procédés chimiques verts - Phase II | 1 000 000 $ |
| Cégep de Trois-Rivières | Development of metal powders for advanced manufacturing processes and applications | 1 000 000 $ |
| Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning | Advanced Recycling Technologies Research Lab for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE): The WEEE Pilot Plant | $1,000,000 |
| Fanshawe College | Applied Agri-food Innovation Accelerator for Southwestern Ontario | $966,210 |
| Lambton College | Sustainable Chemicals and Processes Research | $1,000,000 |
| Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre | $409,227 | |
| Lethbridge College | The Centre for Sustainable Food Production (CSFP) | $1,000,000 |
| Loyalist College | Loyalist College equipped to support business innovation in the natural product and cannabis industry | $1,000,000 |
| Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology | Mining Centric Research Innovation Hub | $191,466 |
| Red River College of Applied Arts, Science and Technology | Expansion of Aerospace Research and Training Facilities | $1,000,000 |
| The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) | Multipurpose Content Production Studio Research Infrastructure Upgrades Supporting the NAIT Centre for Innovative Media | $454,885 |
| TOTAL | 13 projects | $10,093,556 |
NOTE:
As part of this announcement, an additional $3,028,067 was awarded under the Infrastructure Operating Fund, a mechanism that assists institutions with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with the new infrastructure.
College-Industry Innovation Fund (CIIF) – Stream 2
Institution | Project title | Maximum CFI contribution |
| Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup | Biotransformation des matières résiduelles-Optimisation des procédés régionaux | 573 257 $ |
| Cégep régional de Lanaudière | Centre national d'innovation technologique en sport adapté | 399 437 $ |
| Collège Shawinigan | Acquisition de nouvelles expertises pour le développement et l'intégration d'une filière de recyclage de piles régionale | 580 446 $ |
| La Cité collégiale | Création du Centre d'expertises en prototype intelligent | 1 000 000 $ |
| TOTAL | 4 projects | $2,553,140 |
NOTE:
As part of this announcement, an additional $765,942 was awarded under the Infrastructure Operating Fund, a mechanism that assists institutions with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with the new infrastructure.