Durham College (DC) is helping small businesses and startups take the next steps to bring their products and services to market, as a result of a $300,000 grant from Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON), expanding DC’s capacity to foster innovation and entrepreneurial growth in Ontario.

This new funding will further expand the intellectual property advisory services from DC’s Office of Research Services, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE). More than 50 business clients are expected to take advantage of the tailored resources and mentorship to help them navigate the complexities of intellectual property and commercialization. DC students participating in FastStart, the college’s on-campus Entrepreneurship Centre, will have expanded opportunities to learn about intellectual property so that they can protect and leverage this vital business asset.

“By enhancing our services and providing commercialization expertise at DC, we’ll be able to educate our clients and student entrepreneurs on developing an intellectual property strategy and increase their understanding of the commercialization process – steps that are crucial to the long-term success of their products and services,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, dean, ORSIE. “With the support of IPON, our office will continue to serve as a hub for innovation, fostering economic growth and creating opportunities for our clients, students and faculty to succeed.”

Training in intellectual property literacy will also be available, eliminating barriers clients face when navigating the process by themselves, often affecting their impact and profitability. A limited number of high-potential clients will also have access to financial support to cover costs related to filing and regulatory fees and to procure legal services.

 Community members, business owners, start-ups and students can benefit from DC’s IP expertise during ORSIE’s first TechTalk event on Friday, October 27 at the Oshawa Campus.

DC is among seven post-secondary institutions to receive the funding. IPON’s $2-million pilot project is part of the Commercialization Mandate Policy Framework, an initiative aimed at helping post-secondary institutions advance their research and innovation efforts for the benefit of Ontario.

For more information or to access advisory services, contact Joshua Cohen, Commercialization Specialist at DC, or visit us online to learn more about ORSIE and the college’s applied research services and projects.