Niagara College is a leader in Ontario and Canada in industry-collaborative applied research.
Most applied research and commercialization activities at Niagara College that involve industry partners are conducted through our Research and Innovation (R&I) division. Course-based applied research projects occur organically through the many academic programs, with support from R&I.
We currently engage industry through our four Innovation Centres, focused on key industries in the Niagara region, but with application to the whole of Ontario and Canada:
Niagara College is also leading two networks of post-secondary institutions who share Intellectual Property Ontario’s (IPON’s) current (and likely future) priorities. The Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI) and the Greenhouse Technology Network (GTN) are those networks. SONAMI counts Niagara College (lead), Sheridan College, Mohawk College, McMaster University, Conestoga College, Fanshawe College, Fleming College, George Brown College, Lambton College, Centennial College, McMaster University and Queen’s University as members. GTN counts Niagara College (lead), University of Guelph, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, University of Windsor, and Brock University as members.
Niagara College’s applied research program is meant to benefit five main stakeholder groups:
The modes of engagement happen in three different ways:
Our approach and mandate are to support innovation in partnership with companies, which we assist companies with their commercialization. The industry or community partner is expected to contribute a match of at least 1:1 to any government funding used to conduct the project. Our position is that the Intellectual Property (IP) developed through these projects typically belongs to the industry partners, as they are best positioned to decide how to handle and commercialize foreground IP. IP arising of projects entirely paid by the industry or community partner belongs to the partner.
Partner companies are recruited in a variety of ways, including:
Project intake is conducted through an initial Expression of Interest form on our website, filled out by the industry partner. Each of these are evaluated by the Business Development staff and relevant Innovation Centre staff. Confirmed leads are then evaluated as projects, in the Project Review Committee composed of research administrators that will be involved in the conduct of the projects, according to criteria related to benefitting the five stakeholder groups listed above.
Since R&I is centralized, collaboration on IP and commercialization activities occurs throughout its operations. We are structured through the somewhat self-contained Innovation Centres, where staff, faculty, and students collaborate on research and innovation activities. The connective tissue for R&I activities is the research administration team, which includes staff handling Business Development, Dissemination & Outreach, Human Resources, Finance & Compliance, research-specific IT, which are shared for all Innovation Centres and interact with their counterparts in the College at large.
Information on research activities is available on the R&I website and through a quarterly e-Newsletter that provides news of projects, success stories, graduate profiles, and R&I employment opportunities (notably for Research Assistants and Research Associates on projects at all Innovation Centres).
Through this Annual Commercialization Plan, Niagara College will endeavour to:
The Province of Ontario issued its Commercialization Mandate Policy Framework in early 2022. The objective of Ontario’s Commercialization Mandate Policy Framework is to harness the IP generated with the institution’s resources to achieve Ontario’s goal of ensuring that made-in-Ontario innovations benefit Ontarians.
Niagara College is committed to supporting Ontario’s Commercialization Mandate Policy Framework within the context of the role Ontario colleges play in applied research and innovation.
Niagara College is uniquely positioned to collaborate with industry partners to advance innovation and facilitate commercialization of intellectual property in Ontario that creates economic and social benefits for our communities. In particular, applied research activities taking place at Ontario’s publicly funded colleges in partnership with small and medium-sized enterprises create innovative solutions to challenges being experienced in our communities in a variety of settings.
These innovations will be a key driver for sustainable economic recovery, growth, and competitiveness in Ontario and will be critically important as we collectively emerge from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to increase innovation at the community and regional level, Niagara College will continue to rely on funding from granting agencies, primarily federal agencies, as the operating funding provided to colleges does not reflect the overhead costs of exploring, developing and overseeing applied research projects.
Ontario’s Commercialization Mandate Framework provides an opportunity to advance the role of the publicly funded college sector in research and innovation. Niagara College looks forward to continuing to support our partners in the commercialization of intellectual property to realize the full benefits for all Ontarians.
