The Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative

FedDev Ontario: Driving Innovation Across Southern Ontario

Region: Kingston and Niagara

[A woman's voice speaking over footage]

Southern Ontario is home to a number of world class post-secondary institutions with expertise in research and development. The region also has a large concentration of small and medium-sized enterprises with the need to innovate.

The Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative was launched by FedDev Ontario to encourage businesses and institutions to work together, to bring big ideas to market and create real opportunities for business growth, innovation and jobs. Queens University and Niagara College are two examples of post-secondary institutions that are collaborating with smalland medium-sized businesses thanks to FedDev Ontario’s support.

[Text on screen – Queen’s University: Funding recipient through the Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative]

[Steven Liss – Vice-Principal (Research), Queen’s University, Kingston]

The FedDev Ontario’s Applied Research and Commercialization program helps Queens University’s commitment to stimulate regional and economic development by working with companies to help them bring innovative ideas to the marketplace. Through the Applied Research and Commercialization funding, Queen’s has been able to enter into collaboration with 15 companies. We’re able to bring our knowledge, our resources to help them get the job done.

[Switch to Matt Fair – Operations Manager, Research Casting International, Trenton]

A research casting restores dinosaur skeletons for museums around the world. Our challenge was to communicate with the customer, and we needed some computer expertise to do this.

[Switch to David Rappaport – Professor, School of Computing, Queen’s University]

Research Casting International needed some custom software to improve their ability to do business, so that they could share their information digitally. FedDev Ontario provided the opportunity for our students at this Queen’s school of computing to work on real world problems and it provided a competitive advantage for the company we worked for.

[Switch to Steven Liss]

FedDev Ontario’s investment has allowed to increase our engagement with and our impact in our community.

[Text on screen – Niagara College: Funding recipient through the Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative]

[Switch to Marc Nantel – Associate Vice-President – Research & Innovation, Niagara College, Welland]

Niagara College applied for FedDev Ontario funding to better serve the needs of the regions small and medium enterprises. We were able to collaborate with 14 businesses in the region to help them innovate when they would not normally have been able to afford it.

[Switch to David Mumford – Founder, Director Research & Development, WorkTech Inc.]

WorkTech Inc. develops service management software for the public sector. WorkTech had an idea for software, but we didn’t have the skilled people to get it done.

FedDev Ontario has made us more competitive and enabled us to reach new markets.

[Switch to Mark Nantel]

A program like FedDev Ontario allows companies to continue offering their services and stamping out their products, while at the same time working on the next generation of products and services that will ensure they will be successful in the future.

[Switch to woman’s voice speaking over footage]

In its first phase, the Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative contributed approximately $14.5 million dollars. And due to its popularity, a one-year extension was announced with funding of up to an additional $15 million.

In the first intake alone, 24 post-secondary institutions collaborated with over 300 businesses across the region. These partnerships are contributing to the development of solutions, promising new innovations and products for southern Ontario, and the world.

[Text on screen - www.FedDevOntario.gc.ca]

[FedDev Ontario identifier and Canada wordmark]