Marc Nantel, PhD, Vice-President of Research, Innovation and Strategic Enterprises at Niagara College, has won the Trailblazer Award in Innovation Policy at the 2024 Canadian Science Policy Centre Conference (CSPC) in Ottawa.

According to the Selection Committee, Nantel was selected for the many contributions that he has made to Canadian innovation policy and for several ways in which he is leading the way at the forefront of this community. Nantel is being recognized as a visionary leader in the Canadian science, technology, and innovation ecosystem, significantly impacting both policy and practice. Areas of impact where he has catalyzed change in a positive way include community-building, championing/advocating, and enhancing productivity/development.

“I’m truly honoured to receive the 2024 Trailblazer Award in Innovation Policy from CSPC. This recognition is not just a reflection of my work, but of the incredible support, collaboration, and vision of collective advocacy of the whole college community,” said Nantel. “To those who nominated me, thank you for believing in the power of applied research and innovation. This is a shared achievement, and I’m excited to continue with my colleagues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in our sector.”

The CSPC Trailblazer Awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated novelty and creativity through leadership, vision, courage, and commitment, and have positively and significantly impacted the Canadian science, technology and innovation ecosystem. Those selected for the award have been instrumental in boldly spearheading change via one or more transformative initiatives, while blazing a trail and inspiring others to follow.

Nantel was selected because of his leadership in college innovation and applied research, including helping the sector secure $108.6 million for college research in Budget 2023 through his work as founder and Chair of the College Applied Research Taskforce, a pan-Canadian advocacy think-tank. His leadership in national policy initiatives, and his establishment of advanced research centres aligning academic research with industry, have had a profound impact on the innovation landscape across Canada and supported economic development through collaborations with small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“Tech-Access Canada is delighted to have nominated Dr. Marc Nantel for this prestigious award, as he is a true trailblazer in driving innovation and commercialization results in Canada. His dedicated leadership and ability to catalyze change have had a tremendous impact on advancing innovation policy for colleges, cégeps and Technology Access Centres (TACs) across the country,” said Ken Doyle, Executive Director, Tech-Access Canada. “I wish we could clone him. The increase in R&D investments that are a result of his contributions will have long-term ripple effects across sectors and the nation.”

Under his guidance, the College’s Research and Innovation division grew from nine employees to 35 current administrative and scientific staff. Since Nantel joined NC in July 2011, the Research and Innovation division has secured more than $200 million in government, industry, and institutional research contributions to fund three new buildings and 2,500 projects with industry, resulting in more than 18,000 student research experiences. NC has ranked among the top 10 research colleges in Canada for nine consecutive years, as reported by Research Infosource Inc.’s “Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges” and currently is No. 1. NC also earned the No. 1 spot in 2019.

Nantel spearheaded the development of the College’s advanced research facilities, including its Business and Commercialization Innovation Centre, Horticultural and Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre, Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre, and Food and Beverage Innovation Centre – the last two facilities were awarded TAC grants from NSERC.

With Nantel’s vision and leadership, NC created and leads two multi-institution collaborative networks: the Greenhouse Technology Network and the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI), capable of addressing industry challenges in technologies related to greenhouse operations and in advanced manufacturing, respectively.

Nantel’s contributions extend beyond the institutional level, influencing national and international policies and practices in science and innovation. Nantel and his team were recognized for their work by the gold medal from the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics, and the Silver Applied Research and Innovation Excellence Award from Colleges and Institutes Canada, both in 2018. Most recently, in 2024, the College received a silver award in the same category. SONAMI won the Research Partnership Award from the Canadian Association of Research Administrator in 2019.

Nantel holds a BSc in Physics and MSc in Nuclear Physics from McGill University, and a PhD in Plasma Physics from the Institut National pour la Recherche Scientifique. He furthered his research program through four postdoc years in France and at the University of Michigan, in addition to serving as an Adjunct Professor of Physics at the University of Toronto from 1998 to 2008.

Presently, he is Chair of the College Applied Research Taskforce, a partnership between Colleges and Institutes Canada, Polytechnics Canada, Tech-Access Canada and Synchronex. In 2022-23, on behalf of the Taskforce, Nantel made submissions to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance that called on the government to accelerate business-led research and development through increased investment in the Tri-Council College and Community Innovation program.

As a result, Budget 2023 included $108.6 million over three years to expand the program, administered by NSERC.

Nantel was also an influential leader in the development of Tech-Access Canada, which is a non-profit organization that supports the pan-Canadian network of 67 Technology Access Centres (TACs)—leaders in college applied research and developing new innovative products and solutions using technology.

During his several years as Chair of the Heads of Applied Research for all 24 Ontario colleges and Chair of Colleges and Institutes Canada’s National Research Advisory Committee, Nantel played a pivotal role in shaping research policies and fostering collaboration across the country. He works to facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building among Canadian colleges, enhancing their collective ability to address complex societal challenges. He is highly supportive of his peers, shares best practices, and discusses among peers to develop a stronger system.  He had the honour of appearing as a witness for several House of Commons Standing Committee studies.

Nantel co-founded and led several organizations, including the Ontario Photonics Technologies Industry Cluster (OPTIC), the Ontario Photonics Education and Training Association (OPETA), and the Global Photonics Education Network (GPEN). He also chaired the Board of Scientists in School, and co-founded the Science and Technology Awareness Network (STAN) with Bonnie Schmidt (Let’s Talk Science) and Jeff Crelinsten (Research Money).