Innovative Projects Realized

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

13270 Completed Projects

1072
AB
2795
BC
430
MB
106
NF
348
SK
4184
ON
2671
QC
43
PE
209
NB
474
NS

Projects by Category

10%
Computer science
9%
Engineering
1%
Engineering - biomedical
4%
Engineering - chemical / biological

Electroplated Phosphonate Quaternary Ammonium Antimicrobials for Corrosion, Wear and Antimicrobial Resistant Metal Surfaces

We are proposing to use a rapid, safe and green electroplating process to adhere antimicrobial phosphonate quaternary ammonium materials onto receptive metal surfaces. Pathogenic infections are responsible for approximately 60% of all hospital acquired infections. In order to help stop the spread, high contact surfaces such as bed rails in hospitals, door knobs etc. require surface treatments that provide both corrosion and antimicrobial resistance. Alternatively, these materials may also be helpful in providing these properties to metal implants such as prosthetic hips.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Daniel Foucher

Student:

Phillip Junor

Partner:

LP Corp

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ryerson University

Program:

Integration of Electromagnetics in Potash Mining Geohazard Analysis

Potash is a mineral that is mined for use as fertilizer in agriculture. Potash accounted for $6.4 billion in exports from Saskatchewan in 2018 and potash mining represents a large fraction of the economy of Saskatchewan. When mining potash, it is important to avoid mining into areas near water-filled porous rocks since this can cause flooding. As a result, the ability to detect water-bearing regions at a distance, using geophysical techniques, would be highly desirable. In this project, the intern will extend research on the use of time-domain electromagnetics to detect these water-filled layers. His previous work showed that time-domain electromagnetics could detect water-filled layers directly above the transmitter-receiver pair in geological settings similar to mines in southern Saskatchewan. The current project will consider mines near Saskatoon and will examine the ability of the technique to detect water that is not directly overhead.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Sam Butler

Student:

Todd John LeBlanc

Partner:

Nutrien

Discipline:

Geography / Geology / Earth science

Sector:

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program:

Accelerate

Effect of off-bottom oyster aquaculture on coastal bird populations

The coastal ecosystem of Prince Edward Island (PEI) represents an interface between the open marine waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the sandstone, densely populated province of PEI. It is one of the wildest landscapes remaining in PEI and hosts several species at risk (including the endangered piping plover and red knot). This research is part of a larger project to more fully understand the dynamics of coastal ecosystems. By examining the positive and negative effects of aquaculture on bird populations, we aim to provide information that is crucial to the conservation of a number of important bird species in PEI as well as ecosystem-based best practices for the industry.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Kevin Teather

Student:

Jenna Cahill

Partner:

Island Nature Trust

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Prince Edward Island

Program:

In Vacuo Glycation of Insulin

More than 2 million Canadians suffer from diabetes, a disease associated with the body’s inability to produce or effectively use insulin. The high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can lead to serious complications such as vision loss, kidney failure, cardiovascular problems, and amputation. Therefore, diabetes patients are treated with insulin, with the aim of achieving tight control over their blood sugar levels. While regular human insulin has a duration of action of 6 – 8 hours, long-acting insulin can provide a continuous supply of insulin for about 24 h, thereby enabling better regulation of blood glucose between meals. However, long-acting insulin is costly to produce, and consequently expensive for patients. The aim of this project is to develop simple, low-cost approach to the development of new versions of insulin with long-acting properties, making the treatment more readily available to patients.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Elizabeth Gillies

Student:

Seyed Iraj Sadraei

Partner:

PnuVax Inc

Discipline:

Chemistry

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Western University

Program:

Accelerate

Marine resilience in the Anthropocene: understanding the adaptive capacity of marine social-ecological systems to change

The ocean is experiencing drastic declines in biodiversity due to the cumulative impact of human activities, including habitat loss, resource exploitation and fossil fuel emissions. These declines in species abundance and diversity have dire consequences for coastal communities whose economic and social systems depend upon healthy oceans. While global analyses of human impacts on marine ecosystems motivate international political action, often coastal communities struggle to make use of large- scale analyses in their decision-making. In this era of global and local change, research needs to be conducted at scales that are meaningful to the entities responsible for implementing local management and adaptation strategies. My research will address this challenge by creating a framework to analyze the adaptive capacity of a marine socio-ecological system to anthropogenic pressures, using a combination of natural and social science methods. With a geographic focus on a glacial fjord in the Salish Sea, Atl’ka7tsem (Squamish Nation place name for Howe Sound), I am partnering with the Squamish Nation and collaborating with local governments, stakeholders and non-profits to conduct a survey and interviews that braid Indigenous, local and western scientific knowledge systems.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Christopher Harley

Student:

Fiona Beaty

Partner:

Ocean Wise

Discipline:

Zoology

Sector:

University:

University of British Columbia

Program:

Accelerate

Closed loop cementous mixing and feeding system development

The main problem being addressed is the current lack of control and quality in the deposition of mixed mortar in the application of large-scale 3D printing. This is a significant issue because the properties of the mixes used depend heavily on the material ratios and mixing/pumping time. This means that slight variations can lead to blockages in the system or even collapse of the intended printed items.
Current 3D Concrete printing system use many different mix/pumping systems. Two system which are very popular are the MTEC Duo Mix 2000 Connect from MTEC, MAI®MULTIMIX-3D. Both use a dual mixing chamber design but have different styles of controls and material flow.
During our research project the intern will
1) Evaluate and document state of current technology for mixing and pumping using the MTEC and Mai systems
2) Establish simple closed loop controls for the mixing of the materials with water and additives.
3) Test ratios of target variables to evaluate their correlations and create guide curves for more accurate control
4) Link the material handling system to the material feed system and printer controller
5) Confirm proper functioning of improvements through test prints.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Cristina Zanotti

Student:

Parsa Khodabakhshi

Partner:

Twente Additive Manufacturing

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure

University:

University of British Columbia

Program:

Accelerate

Life Cycle Assessment to Inform Potential for Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes in Canada’s LNG Industry

The Paris Agreement, which was signed in December 2015 and went into effect in November 2016, outlines a framework for a new market mechanism that could to incentivize countries to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs). ITMOs enable countries to transfer emissions reduction credits between countries to efficiently find those areas where emissions could be reduced most efficiently and cost-effectively, thus resulting in greater net reductions globally. However, it remains unclear whether ITMOs can be created and implemented by Canadian energy producers, and what this could mean for energy producers. In this project, one intern will research the feasibility of ITMOs for Canada’s LNG industry, using the export of BC LNG to China as an example. The intern will conduct life cycle analyses (LCAs) of different fuel sources to determine whether the export of BC LNG to China could result in a net emissions reduction under different scenarios. The partner organization (FortisBC) will benefit from a deeper understanding of whether and how it could implement ITMOs to gain a return on investment for upstream emissions reductions and create competitive advantages.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Kasun Hewage;Harish Krishnan

Student:

Don Rukmal Dhanushka Liyanage

Partner:

FortisBC

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Energy

University:

Program:

Accelerate

Tunable Metal-Organic Frameworks for Detection and Capture of Phosphine and Other Hazardous Gases

This proposal aims to develop the next generation of smart materials to remove hazardous substances Canadians breathe in different environments from enclosed public buildings to industrial facilities. These hazards put the Canadians at risk, especially when in chronic contact even at low concentrations in the air. The Canadian company HFI Pyrotechnics Inc. and the University of Ottawa are partnering to contribute to the development of new filtering technologies against hazardous gases, which will assure the safety of HFI’s employees within their facility. The Murugesu Group at uOttawa has been putting efforts to discover efficient materials that work like smart sponges able to capture hazards from the air with high efficiency. This partnership will open avenues to expand the application of these sponges to detect, capture, and quantify hazardous gases in different environments including indoors and outdoors in Canada.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Muralee Murugesu

Student:

Walace Doti do Pim

Partner:

HFI Pyrotechnics Inc

Discipline:

Biochemistry / Molecular biology

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Ottawa

Program:

Accelerate

An IoT Hot Cold Sensation Device

This project is to research and develop a portable hot-cold sensation diagnostic device which will be used to test and record the degree of hot and cold sensation on patient’s limbs. Traditional method uses test tubes filled with warm water or cracked ice and water for testing. Temperature less than 5oC and greater than 45oC elicit painful responses in addition to temperature should be avoided. The proposed device not only integrates the key sensory testing tool, but through its electrical components, it provides method to conduct reproducible tests. It has the potential to be a disruptive technology. With the predicted growth and its potential to standardize neurological examinations and thus revolutionize the clinical industry, the device will become more prevalent in hospitals and private practices. This will help Clinisys further impact the local economy though the creation of employment opportunities, and the development and retention of highly qualified personnel that will ultimately lead to increased investment in Alberta.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Edmond Lou

Student:

Andi Liu

Partner:

Clinisys EMR Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Accelerate

Preparing Asphaltene-based Carbon Fibres by Electrospinning for Optoelectronic Applications

Currently, most electrodes used for optoelectronic application are coated with metal oxides as a conductive substrate, but are expensive to produce. There have been many studies on finding a cheaper and flexible alternatives such as graphene. Asphaltenes are polyaromatic hydrocarbons defines by their solubility class that has a similar structure to graphene. Asphaltenes are found in crude oil, tar sands and coal, but create several problems in the oil industry and are considered a waste due to its tendency to aggregate. The focus of this project is to raise the value of asphaltene by preparing asphaltene-based carbon fibres by electrospinning, which is a simple cost-effective technique to produce fibres from a polymeric solution. Due to the tensile properties and conductivity and carbon fibres, they make a promising alternative to metal oxides to transform existing surfaces into conductive substrates.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Bryan Koivisto

Student:

Tristan Mananquil

Partner:

Anfernee Innovative Materials Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ryerson University

Program:

Coronavirus adhesion to contact lenses

A large proportion of people require vision correction, and about 10% of them prefer using contact lenses. However, one of the key questions that has arisen is whether wearing contact lenses is safe during this pandemic. Currently this question remains highly debated and further scientific studies are required to adequately answer this question. Two important factors that may help removal of the viruses from contact lenses are the use of cleaning solutions and the human blinking reflex. The aim of the study is to evaluate whether contact lens care solutions and the blinking reflex are sufficient in removing coronaviruses from contact lenses.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Lyndon Jones

Student:

Manish Shukla

Partner:

OcuBlink

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Accelerate

Innovative Business Strategies: Business development and export opportunities and challenges associated with small Canadian companies

Considering cross-border business, and maximizing gains from remote work, particularly during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic. The proposed research will explore two types of business strategies – cross-border business and remote work uptake – that can help small Canadian companies adapt to and recover from the shutdown policies put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the intern will begin by conducting two literature reviews – one to explore the costs and benefits of pursuing cross-border business, and another on best practices for maintaining productivity through remote work. The intern will then develop and calibrate two tools for a small Canadian company: (1) A decision-making framework for deciding whether to engage in cross-border business activities or pursue a cross-border merger, and (2) A corporate remote work policy based on best practices observed in the literature and company-specific considerations.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Gregory Libitz;Rajni Dogra

Student:

Nicoline Janne Vrouwtje van Kan

Partner:

Limestone Analytics Inc

Discipline:

Resources and environmental management

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

St. Lawrence College

Program:

Accelerate

Previous
1…311312313314315316317…1,106
Next

Join a thriving innovation ecosystem.

Subscribe to our newsletter now!

Subscribe