At Research and Innovation (R&I), we conduct projects that provide innovative solutions, such as producing and testing prototypes, evaluating new technologies, and developing new or improved products or processes for small- and medium-sized businesses.
With funding support from various regional, provincial and federal agencies, students and graduates are hired to work alongside faculty researchers to assist industry partners leap forward in the marketplace.
Mission:
Providing innovative solutions to business and key industry sectors through applied research and knowledge transfer, in partnership with Niagara College (NC) faculty and students.
Vision and Values:
R&I is directly aligned with the 2022-2027 Niagara College Strategic Plan. There are six main areas of focus in the College’s Strategic Plan with interrelated actions to achieve a longer-term vision. As such, applied research activities are a key part of the “Alumni and Partner Engagement” pillar, which states: “We will drive economic development through applied research projects.” Alongside this is an overall goal of actively seeking and developing partnerships of a local and global scale, as well as with other postsecondary institutions and government. Being experientially focused means that NC has a cohesive approach to teaching and learning, which includes opportunities for classroom applied research, alongside other work-integrated approaches. Providing practical, hands-on learning in both classroom and lab allows the graduates’ skills to be aligned with the knowledge, skills and abilities that match the needs of their employers.
Under this same area of focus, one action states, “We will foster positive student and community relationships,” while another states, “We will develop strong partnerships locally and globally to increase access, decrease barriers, and support our communities and employers.” These statements are further explored in Sections Three and Four, including when addressing EDIA initiatives.
In a complementary fashion, R&I’s applied research objectives directly align with the College’s overall Strategic Plan, and we carry out this mission in five main ways, including:
GTN is a Niagara College-led consortium of five institutions supporting the research and development needs of the greenhouse industry through applied research projects. The objective of the GTN is to bring together greenhouse and technology businesses with research institutions to advance development and adoption of new technologies. GTN leverages researchers, faculty, students, and state-of-the-market facilities and equipment, together with funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, to support greenhouse and related technology businesses.
SONAMI is a Niagara College-led network of 11 post-secondary institutions, who, through their respective Research and Innovation Centres, collaborate with small- and medium-sized companies to tackle their manufacturing-related challenges. SONAMI conducts projects that provide innovative solutions, such as process optimization, designing and testing prototypes, evaluating new technologies, and developing and commercializing new or improved products.
SONAMI leverages faculty, students, and state-of-the-market equipment, together with provincial and federal funding, to support manufacturing in Canada.
