Innovative Projects Realized

Explore thousands of successful projects resulting from collaboration between organizations and post-secondary talent.

29670 Completed Projects

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Projects by Category

Development of a cost effective plant pathogen detection system with high specificity and sensitivity

Plant exposure to pathogen contamination can lead to serious health and economic risks. With the modern just-in-time logistics system, it is more critical than ever to have the ability to detect plant contamination to avoid the economic loss and health implications that can arise from plant contamination. Ecoli Sense is looking to develop a fast, inexpensive, and robust pathogen detection device for plant-based pathogens. The candidate will work on validating the proposed detection methodology as well as assist Ecoli Sense in transferring the methodology into an engineered, market-ready device for pathogen detection.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Wensheng Qin

Student:

Partner:

Kraken Sense

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Lakehead University

Program:

Elevate

Indigenous Approaches to Wellness: A Response to the COVID-19 Mental Health Crisis in Indigenous Communities

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a dramatic increase in mental health issues, overdose, suicide, and violence in Indigenous communities. Numerous studies and reports call for community-driven approaches to wellness that support Indigenous communities in culturally relevant ways. Yet, many communities do not have the resources to support such approaches. In response to the literature and immediate needs of communities in central Alberta, the current study will explore community members’ experiences of community-driven cultural wellness programs in addressing the COVID-19 mental health crisis in the Rocky Mountain House region. This research directly supports the community-based capacity to respond to mental health crises. It will provide a foundation for further research to investigate the effectiveness of cultural programs in addressing the mental health needs of Indigenous communities.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Karlee Fellner

Student:

Partner:

Mental Health Research Canada;Âsokêwin Friendship Centre

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Other services (except public administration); Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Calgary

Program:

Accelerate

Microporous polymeric coatings for Li-ion battery electrodes

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are commonly used for electric cars and portable electronic devices. In order to make these devices cheaper, lighter and more accessible, high capacity LIBs are needed. Lithium or silicon are ideal materials for LIBs due to their high specific capacity. However, they cannot be used to substitute the graphite anode in the current commercial LIBs due to the stability issue related to the lithium dendrites growth and the extreme volume change. Herein, polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) have been suggested as a potential solution to suppress the problems associated with the new anode materials. Different types of PIMs will be synthesised and used as a protective layer for Li metal anode to facilitate uniform deposition of Li metal, and as a binder for Si anode to put the Si-based materials together.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Hyun-Joong Chung

Student:

Partner:

MakeSens Advanced Battery Materials

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Clean Technology; Energy and Utilities; Nanotechnology

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Elevate

AI and Urban Big Data-driven intelligent freight platform for robust and sustainable city design and planning: The case of City of Montreal

La gestion des perturbations est un élément essentiel des plateformes de transport de marchandises. Cela nécessite une correspondance et une planification dynamiques en tenant compte de la configuration logistique basée sur les données en temps réel des demandes des systèmes de fret lors des déplacements quotidiens des zones urbaines. Les approches basées sur l’IA aident à évaluer le mouvement des camions et fournissent des systèmes de recommandation optimisés basés sur des données en temps réel sur les préférences des transporteurs, les trajets quotidiens des camions, le trafic et d’autres informations stochastiques. Le système de recommandation et les algorithmes basés sur l’apprentissage peuvent créer des profils de transporteurs et d’expéditeurs pour fournir la meilleure correspondance et la meilleure planification en fonction des paramètres stochastiques. Cette recherche vise à développer des outils d’IA et une approche axée sur les mégadonnées pour concevoir une plate-forme de fret intelligente et à montrer son rôle dans la planification de la conception urbaine robuste et durable sur la base d’une étude de cas de Montréal.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Samira Keivanpour

Student:

Partner:

ShipHaul Logistics Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services; Transportation and warehousing

University:

Polytechnique Montréal

Program:

Elevate

Developing a real-time bacteria detection platform using LAMP assisted bioluminescence assay

Water contamination poses a serious risk to health and economic development in Canada and around the world. The ability to inexpensively and quickly detect the pathogen contamination in water will mitigate the risks associated with water contamination. The LAMP-based biosensor described in this proposal will be able to provide these capabilities, and enable fast and accurate pathogen detection in water in all settings. Ecoli Sense Ltd, a pathogen sensor development company, is looking to develop this capability as part of its pathogen detection device lineup.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Igor Zhitomirsky;Rakesh P Sahu

Student:

Partner:

Kraken Sense

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

McMaster University

Program:

Elevate

Déterminer un modèle d’innovation pour une plateforme de gestion des réductions de GES et de leur conversion en crédits carbone

Cette recherche a pour objectif d’élaborer un modèle conceptuel de gestion de l’innovation pour une PME œuvrant dans le secteur de l’environnement afin de permettre d’innover rapidement dans le contexte de la monétisation des crédits de gaz à effet de serre (GES) au Canada et à l’international. En plus des caractéristiques inhérentes à la mesure de l’empreinte carbone et aux réductions de GES, le modèle doit prendre en compte les aspects d’adaptation rapide aux innovations technologiques.
Une étude de cas permettant d’évaluer le modèle, porte principalement sur un projet dans le domaine des transports. Ce projet technologique est composé d’une transformation numérique, d’éléments de finance verte et d’affaires électroniques au niveau des marchés volontaires du carbone (MVC).

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Faculty Supervisor:

Michel Rioux

Student:

Partner:

Solutions Will

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

École de technologie supérieure

Program:

Accelerate

The development of flexible photoanodes using composite semiconducting materials

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC), are a device capable of generating electricity using the light from the sun. A traditional DSSC is formed by an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, each component with an essential purpose in the overall functioning mechanism.
Special attention will be paid to the anode, its components, and modifications in the herein project. The anode is usually formed by a glass slide coated with a thin semiconducting oxide material as the substrate. Then titanium dioxide nanoparticles are deposited onto that substrate and modified with the desired dye. However, employing glass-supported templates restricts the use of the DSSCs in surfaces like windows and indoor surfaces. At the same time, the utilization of flexible (polymeric substrates) renders an enormous challenge in generating a well-connected matrix (due to low-temperature treatment). The present proposal is designed to fill the gap in modern research regarding using flexible substrates to construct the appropriate anode. Using different additives like metallic and carbon-based nanoparticles, graphene, and graphene derivates in the titania spherical particles or in the titania nanotube matrix, while upgrading the coating technique on the flexible material, a wide variety of materials and knowledge will be generated. In this sense, the goal is to create a synergistic effect in which, using different mechanisms, the final cell will have greater stability, lower cost, and, if possible, a higher efficiency.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Robert (Rob) Gossage

Student:

Partner:

Koivisto Materials Consulting Inc

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program:

Elevate

Electromagnetic treatment to mitigate arsenic toxicity in Oryza sativa (rice) to improve crop yield and reduce methane emissions from paddy fields

Arsenic (As) contamination in rice paddies is a fundamental problem that can reduce crop yield, affect human health, and compromise food security. Moreover, rice paddies emit 30% of the methane produced by the agricultural sector. Aerating water during the growing season can mitigate As toxicity and uptake by rice, and reduce methane emissions; however, current methods are energy-intensive, and require costly equipment. EM Fluids has developed a budget-friendly, solar-powered, electro-magnetic treatment device that enhances oxygenation of water. This project will explore the potential of this technology as a solution to the dual problems of As toxicity and methane emissions from rice fields. This research can position EM Fluids to become a leader in the use of advanced water treatment technologies to alleviate metals toxicity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture with potential expansion into other sectors (e.g., soil and sediment remediation).

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Faculty Supervisor:

Andrew Laursen;Lynda McCarthy;Vadim Bostan

Student:

Partner:

E M Fluids Inc.

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program:

Elevate

Buried pipelines in the sloping ground and potential buckling during operation

Oil and gas pipelines generally traverse over a large distance through various ground conditions, from relatively flat areas to sloping grounds such as crossing hills, mountain ridges and rivers. Ground deformation/slope failure and upheaval buckling during operation pose a major threat to the structural integrity, safety and operability of the pipelines. In the proposed project, numerical analysis and laboratory tests will be performed for a better understanding of these complex mechanisms to develop improved methods for assessing the response of pipelines in the sloping ground and that might experience buckling. Two PhD and one Master’s candidates will be supported through this research grant. The outcomes of the research will be sought by stakeholders including engineering service companies, operators, oil and gas companies, regulatory agencies and academia to address constraints (e.g. technical, economical or logistical) and satisfy accepted risk and safety targets (e.g. societal, environmental).

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Faculty Supervisor:

Bipul Hawlader

Student:

Partner:

Northern Crescent

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Program:

Accelerate

Remediation of neutral mine drainage using magnetic modified biochar/natural polymer biocomposite

Nowadays, due to wastewater released from underground workings, decontamination of neutral mine drainage from toxic metals and rare earth elements is a public concern. They can pollute surface waters by their high mobility and solubility in water. Among the most common technics for the removal of pollutants, the adsorption method because of effective removal of metals, easy operation, and low cost is the most successful method. Biochar, as a novel adsorbent, has been receiving much attention because of the reuse of biomass, porous structure, and abundant functional groups. Natural polymers among different polymers have a long history in adsorption because of their biodegradability, being made from renewable resources, and nontoxicity. On the other hand, the presence of free hydroxyl and amine groups in their structure improves adsorption capacity. According to what was said, the goal of the present research is to remove toxic metals from neutral mine effluents by combining the modified biochar with natural polymers such as cellulose, starch, and chitosan to prevent aggregation and precipitation during the adsorption process as well as increase in adsorption capacity.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ahmed Koubaa;Carmen Mihaela Neculita

Student:

Partner:

Newmont

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Mining

University:

Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Program:

Elevate

Generation of reactive nitrogen species in water by plasma at atmospheric pressure

Nitrogen is a primary macronutrient used today in agriculture. Although the air consists of more than 78% of diazote, plants cannot use the atmospheric nitrogen (N) because the very stable electron configuration of this molecule which makes all reactions energy demanding. For this reason, industrial processes (e.g., Haber-Bosch process) have been developed during the last century to synthesize ammonia and related N-based fertilizer. However, these processes are often associated with major environmental concerns because they require nonrenewable feedstock (natural gas) to generate hydrogen by steam reforming process. In addition, they consume more than 1% of the world’s total energy production. Therefore, innovative processes are necessary to strongly reduce the environmental impact of this industry. In the last years, atmospheric plasma technology has been studied for the synthesis of NOx from air. The latter can potentially be converted into nitric acid when an ionized gas remains in contact with aqueous liquids. However, the energy cost for the synthesis of this fertilizer remains today too high to make the technology economically competitive. Different types of plasma and configuration will be investigated in this work to compare the power consumption of discharges using short electrical pulsations. The obtained result will contribute to better understand this approach and improve the future scale-up for this plasma technology.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Gaétan Laroche

Student:

Partner:

Dissident

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Université Laval

Program:

Elevate

Development of lead-free solder alloys for electronic assembly

The objective of this project is to develop lead free solder alloys with superior mechanical and physical properties. For various reasons (some mentioned above), Sn-based multicomponent alloys with alloying elements, Ag, Cu and/or Bi are likely to be the most promising [2] [8]. For further improvement of Sn-based solder joints, in this work the effects of alloying and/or micro-alloying elements (e.g., Bi, Ag, Cu, Zn, Al, Sb, Ge, Se…) on microstructure, mechanical properties, interfacial reactions, wettability, reliability and melting behavior of Sn-based solders are investigated. In this project the problems associated with the existing lead-free solders, such as formation of large brittle intermetallic compounds, high melting temperature, tin whisker growth and high cost need to be resolved. The proposal detail is summarized in the following.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Mihriban Pekguleryuz

Student:

Partner:

AIM Metals and Alloys LP

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

McGill University

Program:

Elevate