Durham College is a leader in applied research, with the Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE) operating five thriving research centres: the AI Hub, the Mixed Reality Capture Studio, the Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation, the Social Impact Hub, and the Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation.  Additionally, Durham College is one of the partners in the provincially funded Regional Technology Development Site for Durham Region, as part of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN).  Our research aligns with local priorities, which we understand through regular consultation with stakeholders.  Our research also aligns with IPON’s priority sectors of MedTech, artificial intelligence (AI), and automotive.  While the AI Hub serves multiple sectors, the majority of companies we serve are in the health care technology space.  All the AI Hub clients utilize some form of AI in their business processes, and our OVIN research projects support the automotive sector.

 Our research centres support private sector innovation to advance the development of technologies, usually between Technology Readiness Levels 4 and 7. Last year, ORSIE leveraged $3.8M in funding to support 97 projects, involving 56 businesses that were primarily small companies, which tend to have the greatest needs: access to specialized expertise, including experts and research infrastructure, and financing. Projects focus on the development and improvement of products and services, and the intellectual property that is developed during the project is transferred to the partner company upon completion of the project.

Our applied research goals serve four primary stakeholder groups:

1. Industry partners, who leverage college expertise, access to research funding, and student talent to achieve results that create or improve products, services, or processes; and achieve economic benefits such as increased sales, new employees, access to new markets, and so on.

2. Students, who gain hands-on experiential learning by working with industry partners, practicing the technical skills learned in the classroom and honing their transferrable durable skills in a safe environment, thus improving their employment prospects upon graduation.

3. Faculty, who broaden and deepen their knowledge and experience through interactions with industry and community partners, and enhance curriculum with case studies from applied research.

4. Society in Ontario and across Canada, through increased economic development, job creation, improved efficiencies, and more.

Over the next year, we will begin to build our capacity and strengthen our focus on the generation, protection, and management of intellectual property.  We will continue to prioritize collaborations with Ontario small- and medium-sized enterprises with potential to result in a net benefit to Ontario by keeping intellectual property development and enhancements in the province.

Durham College has strong synergistic collaborations with regional research and innovation intermediaries.  Our economic development partners include the Region of Durham, City of Oshawa, Town of Whitby, and City of Ajax, which are key supporting organizations that  advise us on regional strategy and are committed to sponsoring events, promoting our research capabilities, and referring companies.

Our local Regional Innovation Centre, Spark Centre, has identified a goal for Durham Region to become a globally recognized technology and innovation ecosystem developing competitive, world-class businesses. We have supported the research needs of many Spark Centre clients and we collaborate on key regional initiatives. Spark Centre refers SMEs and high growth start-ups to Durham College for research, and promotes our research centres’ events throughout their network. Durham College, along with Spark Centre, OntarioTech University, and Invest Durham are the core Durham Regional Technology Development Site (RTDS) partners. The Durham RTDS is a world-class ecosystem of innovation centres, R&D and testing facilities, and municipalities in the Durham Region that collaborate to accelerate the development of Ontario-made electric vehicles, advanced automotive technologies, and smart mobility solutions. The Durham RTDS is one of eight regional technology development sites that are part of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN). OVIN is a key component of the Government of Ontario’s plan for positioning Ontario as a leader in developing vehicle innovation by harnessing Ontario’s automotive and technology cluster strengths.

We regularly consult with regional health services, including Lakeridge Health Hospital, Ontario Shores, and Oak Valley Health Hospital to understand systemic challenges in healthcare and health and wellness. This consultation provides us with a greater understanding of context when we work with health technology companies and health service providers.

Industrial Research Assistance Program Industrial Technology Advisors from across Canada refer clients to the AI Hub and the MRC Studio to make their businesses more competitive, stimulating wealth in Canada.

Spark Centre, the Spark Angel Network (a regional angel funder of high-growth potential technology companies), and 1855 (a Whitby-based technology accelerator focused on growing high-tech Durham Region companies) refer rapid growth technology clients with research needs to us and promote our research services throughout their networks and to their clients.

We nurture research partnerships with regional postsecondary institutions. With support from a NSERC, the AI Hub is partnering with Sheridan College’s Screen Industries Research and Training Centre, Cégep de Matane’s Centre de Développement et de recherche en intelligence numérique, Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup’s Le Living Lab en innovation ouverte, and multiple industry partners to advance the field of procedural animation of digital humans with AI.

Durham College will benefit from capacity building initiatives and funding to support the requirements of the Commercialization Mandate Policy Framework.  Specifically, a training program for college researchers and their industry partners on intellectual property and commercialization would help to build capacity.  Funding to attend conferences such as AUTM would also support the building of capacity.  Client-specific coaching sessions from IPON to serve clients may also be useful.  Direct access to IPON experts and services at the conclusion of each project would also advance commercialization in a timely manner.

Intellectual property training modules are available on the college’s intranet site and accessible to all employees.  ORSIE team members are prioritizing completion of these modules as we work to build capacity, including the following training available from  University of Toronto: and the Centre for International Governance Innovation.  Training modules are also available to students.

FastStartDC, our entrepreneurship centre for students, will be introducing the eCampusOntario module to student entrepreneurs, and workshops will be planned for student entrepreneurs to build their knowledge and understanding of intellectual property and commercialization strategies.