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Innovation Canada: A Call to Action

Review of Federal Support to Research and Development – Expert Panel Report

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Innovation Catalysts and Accelerators The Impact of Ontario Colleges’ Applied Research

A new report from the Conference Board of Canada says Ontario’s colleges can play a larger role in improving innovation in the country.

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St. Clair offers R&D to local firms

WINDSOR - Local businesses could receive up to $30,000 toward research and development through a provincially funded program available at St. Clair College.

Scott O'Neil, director of the new research and development department at the college, said local industry can use the school as a resource for solving short-term R&D challenges.

"I like to call it Windsor's best kept secret," he said. "There's a lot of expertise here at the college and a lot of opportunities to help leverage a business's research and development spending through the college."

In 2006, St. Clair was one of the founding members of the Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation - a network of 22 colleges across Ontario that offer applied research and expertise to businesses through funding from Ontario's Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation. But a research and development department wasn't formalized at St. Clair until October.

Professors lead the projects but O'Neil said a key criteria for accepting proposals is the amount of student engagement the project will provide. He said most projects allow opportunity to hire students to work toward the solution.

"So through working on these projects, you get students working on real world issues for their particular industries," he said. "The win is that we end up producing higher calibre graduates at the college."

At an open house Tuesday, O'Neil said he talked with local business owners, including members of the Windsor Construction Association, interested in proposing projects in the near future.

Projects six to eight months in length are typical and can focus on issues in any field, O'Neil said. Currently in the starting phases are three projects within engineering and health sciences that will be launched within the community as early as February.

O'Neil said he hopes to see job creation as a result of the new department.

"What I like to see is creating more jobs here in Southwestern Ontario and I think the only way we're going to do it is through research and development," O'Neil said.

"So this gives me an opportunity to identify where the research and development needs are within our community and identify what the college can do to help these local companies solve them, grow new technologies and hopefully hire more people."

StClairNews

Scott O'Neil, director of St. Clair College Applied Research & Development, left, speaks with Wen-Tsung (Alex) Tai, a recent immigrant searching for employment, during an open house at St. Clair College on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012

By Rebecca Wright, The Windsor Star January 11, 2012

Un professeur du Collège Boréal publié dans la revue scientifique Physics Essays

Sudbury, le 12 décembre 2011 – Pour la première fois, un professeur du Collège Boréal voit le fruit de ses travaux publié dans la revue scientifique d’envergure internationale, Physics Essays. Disponible dans l’édition du mois de décembre de cette publication, l’article de Louis Rancourt, professeur à l’École des métiers et des technologies appliquées du Collège Boréal, a été officiellement dévoilé aujourd’hui, lors d’un événement célébrant les récents accomplissements du Collège Boréal en matière de recherche appliquée.

« C’est un grand jour pour le Collège Boréal puisque nous saluons le summum d’une carrière collégiale menant à la publication d’un article dans une revue scientifique reconnue mondialement. Grâce à l’excellence de ses professeurs et aux partenariats développés dans ses communautés, le Collège Boréal est devenu, en quelques années, un acteur majeur du domaine de la recherche appliquée » souligne le président du Collège Boréal, Denis Hubert-Dutrisac.

Pour sa part, le professeur Rancourt expose l’objet d’une existence vouée à la recherche : « J’ai travaillé depuis cinquante ans à découvrir la nature de la gravité. Mon article démontre aujourd’hui que la lumière bloque la gravité. J’ai nommé cet effet l’EFFET BORÉAL. Ayant consacré toute ma vie à l’éducation, je souhaite que mes observations ouvrent la porte à de nouveaux axes de recherches et à de nouvelles applications utilisables par la communauté scientifique. »

Au cours de cet événement, Denis Hubert-Dutrisac a également dévoilé la récente admissibilité du Collège Boréal au Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) : « Outre le génie et l’innovation, nous célébrons aujourd’hui la reconnaissance du Collège Boréal par l’une des plus hautes instances en recherches du pays. Cette reconnaissance intervient alors que notre établissement occupe une place de plus en plus importante au sein du Réseau des collèges de l’Ontario pour l’innovation industrielle (RIICO). »

12_12_-_Clbration_-_Recherche_applique_-_Communiqu_final Denis Hubert-Dutrisac et Louis Rancourt

Enfin, le Collège Boréal a accueilli sa nouvelle gestionnaire de la Recherche appliquée, Mme Anne Poisson. Native du Nord de l’Ontario, Mme Poisson a oeuvré au sein de l’équipe de démarrage qui a permis au Collège Boréal de voir le jour en 1995. Comptant plus de 15 années d’expérience en gestion de projets, Anne Poisson s’est notamment
distinguée en occupant à Ottawa le poste de gestionnaire du volet national de recherche pour le compte du Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS).

À propos de Physics Essays
Publiée par l’American Institute of Physics, Physics Essays est une revue dédiée aux aspects théoriques et expérimentaux de la physique fondamentale. D’envergure internationale, Physics Essays a pour mandat de contribuer à l’évolution de la physique en se basant sur l’examen d’études et d’expériences rigoureuses. Ainsi, l’article du professeur Rancourt a fait l’objet d’une révision par des pairs indépendants et compte maintenant parmi les publications de référence associées aux principes fondamentaux de la gravité.

À propos du CRSNG
Au profit de tous les Canadiens, le CRSNG vise à faire du Canada un pays de découvreurs et d’innovateurs. Il encourage et appuie, entre autres, la recherche axée sur la découverte et favorise l’innovation en incitant les entreprises canadiennes à investir dans des projets de recherche d’établissements postsecondaires et à y participer. Les chercheurs appuyés par le CRSNG sont à l’avant-garde des sciences, faisant fond sur la longue tradition d’excellence du Canada sur le plan scientifique.

« Nourrir le savoir et faire vibrer la culture »
Telle est la vision du Collège Boréal, un établissement de formation et d’enseignement postsecondaire de langue française qui oeuvre, depuis sa création en 1995, au développement et à l’épanouissement des communautés du Nord et du Centre-Sud-Ouest de l’Ontario. Le Collège Boréal encourage également les valeurs d’humanisme, d’excellence et d’inclusion ainsi qu’une prise de conscience active des enjeux environnementaux qui touchent notre société. Le Collège Boréal est enfin le premier représentant du secteur de l’éducation officiellement désigné par le gouvernement de l’Ontario en vertu de la Loi sur les services en français.

Source :
Benoît Clément
Chef, Communications stratégiques
Collège Boréal
705-560-6673, poste 1235
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Government of Canada Stimulates Innovation and Growth in Five Sarnia-Lambton Businesses

Sarnia, Ontario – Five local businesses are taking strides to improve processes, productivity and market-readiness through research partnerships with Lambton College, announced Patricia Davidson, Member of Parliament for Sarnia-Lambton, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

"Innovation is a driving force in this region's economy," said MP Davidson. "Our government is proud to support local businesses as they innovate, grow and become more competitive. The partnerships between Lambton College and five local businesses will stimulate business growth, create jobs, and have a lasting effect on the economy in this community, and in southern Ontario."

"Lambton College is very pleased to participate in this FedDev Ontario initiative," said Dr. Tony Hanlon, President and CEO of Lambton College. "It enables us to further contribute to our community's economic sustainability by allowing our faculty to assist local small- and medium-sized businesses to bring new innovative products to market by offering them applied research and pre-commercialization know-how and facilities."

Last year, under the Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative, Lambton College was approved for up to $230,700 from FedDev Ontario to partner with small- and medium-sized businesses on activities such as applied research, engineering design, technology development, product testing, and certification. The support provided will create new economic opportunities, help businesses in southern Ontario grow, and enable them to become even more innovative and competitive.

For more information on the Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative and Lambton College's partners, please refer to the backgrounder.

Created in 2009, FedDev Ontario supports the southern Ontario economy by building on the region's strengths and creating opportunities for jobs and economic growth. The Agency has launched a number of initiatives to create a Southern Ontario Advantage and place the region in a strong position to compete in the global economy. These initiatives are designed to encourage partnerships and support projects that help the region's businesses and communities become more competitive, innovative and diversified. To learn more, please visit www.feddevontario.gc.ca or call 1-866-593-5505.

For more information, contact:

Stephanie Thomas
Special Assistant – Communications
Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
613-960-7728

Media Relations
FedDev Ontario
519-571-6879

Mohawk lands $2.2m energy boost

Hamilton Spectator

Mohawk College is getting $2.2 million over five years from the federal government.

The grant is part of a $13-million program being handed out to 18 community colleges across the country.

Under the Innovation Enhancement Grant it will support a new research centre in energy technology at the college.

The centre will undertake an applied research project aimed at solving the problem of connecting small scale locale power generation technologies like solar panels and wind turbines to the existing power grid.

The project will include construction of a micro-powered grid to test generation distribution and protection systems.

The college will work with Horizon Utilities, General Electric and McMaster University among others.

Government of Canada Invests in Canadian Business Innovation

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, Nov 14, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, announced an $80 million investment over three years to help accelerate the adoption of information and communications technologies by small and medium-sized businesses. The pilot initiative demonstrates Government support for the digital economy by promoting the adoption and use of digital technologies to foster innovation and productivity and to create jobs and long-term economic growth.

"The Government of Canada is investing in the people and ideas that drive the digital economy," said Minister Paradis. "This new program will help more than 600 small- and medium-sized enterprises integrate innovative technologies into their businesses and create jobs and economic growth."

The Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program will assist Canada's overall productivity and create market growth and opportunity. This Budget 2011 investment in support of Canada's Digital Economy Strategy is the latest in a series of legislative and program initiatives, reflecting the Government's emphasis on the digital economy. It provides a framework to encourage the private sector to adopt new technologies, and to develop the digital workforce of tomorrow.

Given its national presence, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) Industrial Research Assistance Program was selected to deliver the initiative to further provide small- and medium-sized enterprises with its services and extensive network of technical experts. NRC will engage community colleges to collaborate with SMEs by providing advisory services and expertise as appropriate.

The Next Phase of Canada's Economic Action Plan highlights the importance of innovation and the digital economy to sustainable economic prosperity, making Canada an even more attractive international destination for research, investment and work.

BACKGROUNDER

Government of Canada launches the Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program

The Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program

As part of the Government of Canada's commitment to developing a Digital Economy Strategy, Budget 2011 announced measures to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies, build digital skills, and showcase Canada's digital technologies.

The Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program, an $80 million investment over three years starting in fiscal year 2011-2012, is designed to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies by more than 600 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in any sector or location across Canada.

The program has three goals: supporting and increasing the adoption of digital technologies in SMEs in all sectors of the economy; raising awareness of the productivity benefits and importance of these technologies, and; improving our understanding of the link between digital technologies and productivity by gathering data from participating firms. The awareness-raising and data-gathering aspects of the program will help a greater number of Canadian firms benefit from lessons learned by pilot participants during the program's three years.

Firms interested in adopting digital technology into their operations (i.e., production lines, workflow processes, or supply chain or customer management systems) might be eligible to receive advisory services and/or a financial contribution of up to $99,999 through the pilot program.

Colleges and not-for-profit organizations will help to deliver the pilot program by providing access to services, training, expertise and use of facilities and diagnostics that SMEs may not otherwise be able to afford. Participating SMEs may find themselves in a better position to innovate, cut costs, create jobs, improve the efficiency of their supply chains, and boost their overall productivity.

Building upon the National Research Council of Canada's Delivery Capacity

The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) has been assisting and supporting innovative, growth-oriented small- and medium-sized enterprises for over 60 years. NRC-IRAP is recognized internationally as a best practice government program in fostering innovative capabilities of SMEs, and therefore is well positioned to expand its business model to deliver this new pilot program. With more than 200 business and technology experts located in over 100 communities across Canada, NRC-IRAP already provides advisory services and financial support to qualified small- and medium-sized enterprises. Program participants will be able to approach and leverage these existing experts.

Engaging Colleges to Assist Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises

The Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program will also include funding for colleges to deliver services and expertise to small- and medium-sized enterprises. Colleges will play an important role in the Program's success, since they have particular expertise with respect to digital technology adoption and hands on implementation. Colleges can include community colleges, institutes of technology, not-for-profit post-secondary private colleges and public colleges such as CEGEPs.

For more information about the Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program, visit

www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/irap/dtapp .

Contacts:

National Research Council Canada

Media Relations

613-991-1431

1-855-282-1637

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Office of the Honourable Christian Paradis

Minister of Industry

Richard Walker

Director of Communications

613-995-9001

Durham College Highlighted in Recent Globe & Mail Article

Fostering innovation for the real world
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011 5:00AM EST

Like a pasta maker cranking out a flat sheet of dough, Innovequity Inc.’s geometric construction system spits out fully formed floors, walls and roof panels in a matter of minutes. The same contraption is also capable of building near-complete architectural structures – such as a lowrise office complex or a modern home – with very little human intervention.
“With the geometric construction system, you could build high-quality structures using significantly less manual labour and in less time,” said Mark Holtom, chief operating officer of Edmonton-based Innovequity. “So there’s real opportunities to cut down on construction costs and to prevent the delays that you commonly see in construction projects.”
The geometric construction system is concrete evidence of the innovative research taking place in Canadian colleges and polytechnic schools, which have campuses in more than 1,000 communities across the country. Unlike university-based projects, research in colleges is largely practical in nature, with results that can be immediately applied in real-world settings or commercialized.
That was certainly the case with the geometric construction system. Five years ago, it was a mere concept in the mind of Ben Bertrand, Innovequity’s chief technology officer. Mr. Bertrand, a high-school dropout who became a building developer at the age of 18, saw the need for such a machine, but didn’t have the technical knowledge or resources to develop it.
He and Mr. Holtom approached the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton. The institute accepted Innovequity into the business incubation program run by its Duncan McNeill Centre for Innovation. A team of about a dozen professors and students from the school’s building sciences and engineering programs took Mr. Bertrand’s idea and figured out how to make it work.
Mr. Holtom says finding the expertise they needed at NAIT was as easy as looking through the school’s program catalogue.
“Literally, they had everything we needed – from building construction and mechanical design to engineering and architectural technology,” he said. “They developed mechanical drawings for our alpha system and basically transformed our idea into something concrete.
“They also helped us figure out building cost estimates, which was important because we needed to be able to quantify the financial benefits of this system.”
Mr. Holtom said having NAIT as a research and development partner also helped Innovequity land a $600,000 grant from Precarn Incorporated, a non-profit organization in Ottawa that supports the intelligent systems industry in Canada.
“We definitely had more credibility because of our partnership with NAIT,” he said.

Other college innovations

Nova Scotia Community College (multiple campuses)
Mechanical engineering technology students helped to develop an infant incubator compatible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning technology. Taking premature babies out of their incubator for an MRI scan puts them at risk of hypothermia; the college’s incubator allows babies to stay inside it during the MRI.
While similar machines exist, the NSCC model is designed to be cost-effective and is particularly suitable for hospitals that don’t do a lot of MRI scans on infants.

College of the North Atlantic, Nfld.
Researchers are analyzing the chemical composition of the “fly ash” from the hog fuel burned to produce electricity at Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Ltd., a paper mill in Corner Brook, Nfld. The ash has high pH levels, which could make it a cost-effective fertilizer alternative for dairy farmers, who currently use agricultural lime to condition the area’s acidic soil.
There’s another potential benefit from the project; If the fly ash is deemed safe to be applied to the land, thousands of tonnes of the waste material could be diverted from landfill.

Red River College, Winnipeg
Working with engineers at MDS – an Ottawa-based maker of test facilities and test systems for aviation, industrial and marine gas turbine engines – mechanical engineering technology students are building a testing rig that will help them study the formation of ice crystals in jet fuel. Moisture and humidity can cause ice crystals to form in jet fuel, which could cause the plane's engine to stall. Results of this research project, which will be shared with jet engine manufactures, could lead to improvements in fuel line design.

Durham College, Ontario
Clean swimming pools could soon be easier to maintain, thanks to a pool debris skimmer and extraction device created by faculty and students at Durham College. Pool pumps often get stressed when debris builds up and clogs the skimmer basket typically located on the deck beside an above-ground swimming pool. The Durham College device, which is partially submerged in the water, features a perforated conveyor belt that skims and lifts debris from the water. A solar panel and backup battery allow the device to operate round the clock.

Government of Canada Launches New Grants to Support Community-Based Research Partnerships

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 17, 2011) - The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), today joined Suzanne Fortier, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), to launch the new College-University Idea to Innovation (CU-I2I) Grants. These new grants will support collaboration and strengthen research connections between Canadian colleges, universities and businesses to accelerate the development of promising technologies and promote their commercialization in Canada.

"The Government of Canada's investment in R&D has contributed to a stronger economy and created new jobs," said Minister Goodyear. "The new College-University Idea to Innovation Grants enhance and strengthen research links between colleges, universities and businesses to encourage the development of innovative technologies and support their commercialization into the Canadian marketplace."

"This program supports research collaboration and illustrates the importance that the government places on creating the conditions that will allow innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive in this country," said the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry. "Colleges and universities have strong ties to the local business community. Often these are small- and medium-sized enterprises – the companies that play such a vital role in our economy, both through the people they employ and the goods and services they produce."

The new CU-I2I Grants feature $12 million over five years in funding for successful college-university-business partnerships. Awards will be up to $250,000 per year for both college and university applicants, with business partners matching this contribution in cash and/or in kind. Awards can span up to three years. The competition is open—teams comprised of colleges, universities and businesses can apply for these grants at any time.

The CU-I2I Grants are the latest initiative added under the College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program. This program encourages colleges and universities to work with local industrial partners, transferring their expertise for the benefit of the local communities. These grants help create conditions for improving or extending existing technologies or commercial projects and/or services in a way that directly benefit the bottom lines of companies in the local community.

These collaborative grants are jointly managed by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The grants have also received the support of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges and Polytechnics Canada.

"College-University Idea to Innovation Grants represent a new opportunity for businesses to simultaneously tap in to the talent and expertise found on college and university campuses across Canada," said Dr. Fortier, President of NSERC. "Connecting and applying the strengths of Canada's research capacity to the needs of society and industry is an essential element of our success in the global, knowledge-based society and economy."

NSERC is a federal agency that helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for all Canadians. The agency supports some 30,000 post-secondary students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding more than 12,000 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging more than 1,500 Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects.

For more information, read the new CU-I2I Grants description.

Tenet wins GOLD for Best Mobile Solution at Canadian Channel Elite Awards with PINpoint for BlackBerry®

September 29, 2011

Tenet Computer Group Inc. is the Gold Winner in the Best Mobile Solution category at the CDN Channel Elite Awards, which recognizes IT providers for their innovation, leadership and commitment to creating value for their customers.

The winning entry centered on the implementation of PINpoint for BlackBerry, Tenet's mobile emergency management application, at Toronto's Bridgepoint Hospital, with a specific focus on Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
In the aftermath of infectious disease outbreaks, such as SARS in 2003 and H1N1 in 2009, significant emphasis has been placed on healthcare emergency preparedness. Consequently, this project was partially funded by Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation (CONII).

Durham police cruises put to the test

August 12, 2011

Police, local business partner with Durham College to investigate benefits of Mono-Pole technology

Kristen Calis

WHITBY -- A fleet of police cruisers that descended upon Durham College in Whitby last month wasn't there to investigate a problem.

Durham Regional Police officers were there to offer up their cars so the college could test a new technology. If successful, it could mean less fuel usage and cost savings for large fleets of vehicles such as public transit and emergency response teams.

Driving to a greener future: Durham College announces new research project with two community partners

July 28, 2011

Innovative Solutions and DRPS partner with college to investigate benefits of Mono-Pole technology

OSHAWA, Ont. - In an effort to increase fuel efficiency and decrease emissions in vehicles, Durham College's Office of Research Services and Innovation, in collaboration with Innovative Solutions Inc. and the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) announced today a new research project for proof of principle testing of Mono-Pole technology.

The project, initiated by Roland Kielbasiewicz, president of Innovative Solutions Inc. and a Durham College alumnus, could provide financial savings for organizations with large vehicle fleets, including emergency services or public transit. Test vehicles will be provided by the DRPS. Funding from the project will come from the Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation (CONII).

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