The 91精品黑料吃瓜 Kanata North campus recently marked its fifth anniversary, and since its inception, the campus has experienced significant change鈥攆rom doubling in size two years after opening, to launching the Smart Connected Vehicle Innovation Centre in 2021, opening a second campus space at Hub350 in 2022, and substantially growing its number of partnerships and collaborations over the past half decade.
Over this time, 91精品黑料吃瓜 has proven to be a reliable partner for companies looking to expand their R&D efforts and impact through research collaborations, access talent through internships, and even leverage millions of dollars in funding they might not otherwise have access to.
Despite their impressive track record thus far, those behind the Kanata North campus鈥檚 past achievements and milestones are determined not to rest on their laurels.
That鈥檚 why they鈥檙e focused on expanding and enhancing 91精品黑料吃瓜 Kanata North鈥檚 role as an industry and community partner, both now and in the future.
91精品黑料吃瓜 Kanata North鈥檚 next chapter
91精品黑料吃瓜 Kanata North鈥檚 director of innovation and partnerships, Sean Geddes, says the first five years were just a prelude to what鈥檚 next for the campus. Here are some of the most impactful developments on the horizon鈥攁nd why the local businesses and tech community should take note.
鈥淲e are going to continue to grow our presence in the tech park as well as partnerships across the board鈥 Geddes says, adding that the campus aims to double its number of industry partnerships over the next five years while, of course, continuing to support its existing partners.
Impactful R&D partnership opportunities
91精品黑料吃瓜 has already generated significant impact through its R&D partnerships in the tech park and has seen firsthand the amazing possibilities that can be created by bringing industry and 91精品黑料吃瓜 together. Over the past 5 years, 91精品黑料吃瓜 has partnered with well over 60 companies in Kanata North, from homegrown startups like Edge Signal, thinkRF, RoboSafety, and Celestra Health Systems, to larger firms such as Ericsson, Nokia, Ciena, BlackBerry QNX, and Wesley Clover. Over 20 partnerships have been facilitated through the Faculty of Engineering鈥檚 Smart Connected Vehicle Innovation Centre alone.
Geddes says the 91精品黑料吃瓜 Kanata North team will be exploring unique opportunities, such as co-creating and investing in R&D labs and testing space in the tech park. 鈥淓stablishing joint labs with industry further fuel transforming innovative ideas into real-world solutions while creating a dynamic environment where research and innovation thrive, and breakthroughs tested and implemented for the benefit of society." Geddes adds that these spaces also create incredible training environment for 91精品黑料吃瓜 students who will be entering the workforce after graduation.
鈥淎fter seeing the immense impact created, in just 3 years, by bringing the first university industry-driven research lab into the tech park, we are looking forward to bringing the next team and their lab to the 91精品黑料吃瓜 Kanata North campus鈥 says Geddes.
The 91精品黑料吃瓜 Kanata North team will also be prioritizing exciting opportunities to support innovative collaborations such as named industry-partnered research chairs. Creating industry-partnered research chairs will bring together the combined reputation of the university and the industry partner to foster long term collaborations, and promotes practical, impactful research, driven by industry. These chairs will not only work to enhance the academic landscape but also facilitate knowledge transfer, ensuring that emerging technologies are effectively tested and implemented while providing great profile and reputational benefits for partners.
Bringing together multi-stakeholder teams to secure large-scale partnership grants to support big research collaborations also continues to be top of mind for the team in Kanata North. 鈥淏y working with 91精品黑料吃瓜, public sector funding can be leveraged through key programs to, in some cases, triple or quadruple an industry-partners contributions to grow the overall R&D budget鈥 says Geddes. 鈥淥ur 91精品黑料吃瓜 teams have extensive experience and a great track record in supporting the development of these types of proposal.鈥
Industry-relevant training for students and professionals
This past year saw 91精品黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Professional Development Institute (PDI) partner with Nokia to sharpen their engineers鈥 skills in identifying and addressing business-driven customer needs. 91精品黑料吃瓜 will continue its commitment to enhancing professional development program delivery in the tech park, working closely with industry partners, to tailor offerings that meet specific needs, much like their work with Nokia.
In addition to customized programs, the PDI has an extensive catalogue of 鈥渞eady-to-go鈥 courses with many aligning with industry standards in areas such as cybersecurity and cybersafety, misinformation and risk management. All programs delivered by PDI ensure that employees are equipped with the latest skills and knowledge to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
91精品黑料吃瓜 will also continue to engage with companies in the tech park to work to align student programs with industry demands. By adjusting curricula to reflect the skills sought by employers, 91精品黑料吃瓜 aim to prepare students for successful and impactful careers in the tech sector. This collaborative approach ensures that graduates not only possess the theoretical knowledge but also the practical competencies required to excel in the workforce, making them valuable assets to their future employers.
Community engagement
Another priority of the 91精品黑料吃瓜 North team is to maintain the momentum on the increasing community engagement between 91精品黑料吃瓜 and the tech community.
Geddes shares, 鈥渨e currently have 7 out of 10 91精品黑料吃瓜 faculties represented in various activities out in the tech park鈥.
鈥淲e're continuing to play an active role in terms of bringing more 91精品黑料吃瓜 programming, events, and activities to build on that community role,鈥 he explains. 鈥淭here is immense value in bringing the 91精品黑料吃瓜 and Kanata North communities together, so this will also include bringing more of Kanata North to all 91精品黑料吃瓜 campuses as well鈥.
Pending change of address
One of the most pressing future initiatives for 91精品黑料吃瓜 Kanata North is its upcoming move from its current location at 535 Legget Dr.
Geddes says the move is 鈥渁n excellent opportunity to re-evaluate how our current campus has worked for us, and explore how we can reimagine and redesign it to better serve both the 91精品黑料吃瓜 and Kanata North communities.鈥 Geddes added, 鈥渢his just might include establishing additional lab space with another 91精品黑料吃瓜 faculty in the tech park鈥.
While a few interesting real estate options are being considered, Geddes says the campus is expected to change addresses by spring 2025.
How companies can get involved
So how can local technology companies鈥攆rom early-stage startups to established firms鈥攚ork with 91精品黑料吃瓜 Kanata North to gain better access to talent and accelerate their product roadmaps?
鈥淚t goes both ways,鈥 Geddes says, explaining that the university reaches out to companies where they see alignment for collaborations, while also fielding inquiries from businesses interested in partnering.
鈥淚t all starts with a conversation, whether it鈥檚 initiated from our side or theirs,鈥 he says. 鈥淥ur approach is to find out where we can help and where there are mutually beneficial opportunities to collaborate, and then plug in to support these companies.鈥
Partnerships between the university and the local tech community benefit everyone: they鈥檙e good for companies, the local economy, and鈥攐f course鈥攕tudents.
鈥淲e have grad students and postdocs being exposed to real-world industry challenges,鈥 Geddes explains. 鈥淲e鈥檙e bringing the best of industry, academia, and research together to solve real-world problems.鈥 And not to forget, these partnerships generate home-grown intellectual property, developed right here in the National Capital Region.
Interested in collaborating with 91精品黑料吃瓜? Connect with the 91精品黑料吃瓜 Kanata North team to explore how you can partner and innovate with them.