Projets novateurs réalisés

Communications Assets for Watershed and Waterfront Resilience

This project will support the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and partners in advancing the Western Lake Ontario Land to Lake Initiative (WLO-L2L), a collaborative effort to strengthen ecosystem health and water quality from the Niagara River to the Ganaraska watershed. The Initiative addresses land-based pressures on the lake such as nutrient and bacterial inputs, stormwater runoff, invasive species, reduced natural cover, and shoreline alteration, through demonstration projects, shared planning, and coordinated communications.
A key to scaling up adoption of nature-based solutions (NbS) is the ability to communicate clearly and consistently across diverse audiences. Municipal staff, funders, and community groups need accessible visuals, messaging, and templates that translate complex ecological information into formats that are easy to understand and apply. This project will embed a graduate student with TRCA to design and test communications strategies that fill this gap.
The intern will create infographics, illustrations, and messaging frameworks that demonstrate the value of NbS across multiple ecosystem types. These products will be developed in alignment with international standards such as the IUCN Global Standard for NbS, while being tailored to the specific needs of Western Lake Ontario L2L communities and governments.
By improving how NbS options are explained and shared, the project will support better decision-making, faster adoption of sustainable practices, and stronger collaboration among L2L partners.

Developing a Market Entry Strategy for Natures Affinity Inc’s innovative horticultrual products

Within the horticultural industry, plastic containers continue to dominate as the industry is reported to generate around 500 million plastic plant containers and seed trays annually [5]. StatsCan reports that more than 45 million nursery trees and plants were produced in containers in Canada for the 2024 period [6]. Natures Affinity Inc. (NAI) (www.naturesaffinity.ca) is a Canadian nanotechnology company located in Toronto, Ontario that has developed a novel, proprietary binding agent, BIOBINDER® that is 100% biobased and made from industrial and agricultural by-products. One of the features of BIOBINDER® is that it imparts a level of hydrophobicity to both virgin and / or recycled fiber, enhancing material stability and durability in wet conditions allowing it to be used successfully in the nursery industry. NAI has further developed two products that can be used in the horticultural industry, called Plant-EE™ pots and Plant-EE™ sleeves both utilizing BIOBINDER®. Plant-EE™ sleeves act as a propagation cell that holds soil substrates together in a plant tray while Plant-EE™ pots were designed to act as a growing container for plants in loose fill soil substrate. The key to these products is that while they are made from 100% biobased material, as certified by USDA BioPreferred® program, they are completely biodegradable when planted in the soil, with the innovative material enhancing the growth of the plant/tree. Because the Plant-EE containers are plantable there is zero plastic waste during tree planting, there is NO root circling, the roots are not disturbed on transplanting and the material is favourable to the growth of the plant. End result is a healthy tree with better ability to survive and flourish. The aim of this project is to develop a Business plan for full commercialization of NAI products.

An Examination of Social Space in Rural Nova Scotian Municipalities

This research project will apply a theoretical analysis of social space in rural areas in Nova Scotia in order to examine how municipalities design space, and how citizens interact with and within it. Much of the existing literature in the field focuses on social space in urban areas, like populated downtown areas of cities. This project attempts to close a gap in the literature by examining rural space using its character, design, and history, in order to assess its impact on engagement in the community. This project fits perfectly with Colibri Software, as its technology has the potential to be of huge use to small municipalities hoping to get people interacting and engaged in public space. Using “mobile application technology” (apps), they can collect useful data for the research aspect of the project, while also helping municipalities interact with their citizens, and thereby creating avenues for them to improve their public space design, planning procedures, and development policies.

Études hydrologiques du bassin versant de la rivière Cedeño dansl’état de Veracruz au Mexique

Le bassin versant de la rivière Cedeño au Mexique est un bassin d’importance pour la région de Veracruz. Ce bassin est cependant caractérisé par des problématiques liées à la gestion de l’eau ainsi qu’à la qualité de l’eau. Ces problèmes influencent non seulement l’alimentation en eau de la ville de Naolinco mais aussi plusieurs producteurs agricoles habitant plus bas que la ville. Le projet de recherche aura pour but d’évaluer la quantité d’eau disponible et acheminée à la ville de Naolinco et provenant du bassin versant de la rivière Cedeño, afin de proposer une solution adaptée d’alimentation en eau de la ville. Étant sur un site n’ayant aucune valeur de débits observés, la modélisation hydrologique devra se baser sur plusieurs études de cas similaires afin d’obtenir des résultats, soient les débits acheminés vers Naolinco, de la meilleure qualité possible.

Digital Media & Membership Innovation Intern

The Educator Experience is creating an innovative private podcast platform designed to deliver exclusive, high-value content to a dedicated educator audience while fostering community engagement and long-term member relationships. This internship will focus on building the foundation for the platform, including researching best practices for private podcast delivery, designing the member experience, developing content access strategies, and integrating monetization pathways. The intern will work closely with the founder to craft a unique, niche-specific experience that goes beyond traditional podcasting—transforming it into an interactive, membership-driven learning community.

Development of the Market-Ready Next-Generation Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Data Collection & Analysis System

This project focuses on developing a ready-to-market Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Data Collection & Analysis System to improve the accuracy and efficiency of NDT assessment. By automating data collection and analysis, the system will reduce assessment costs by over 50%, making inspections faster and more reliable as well as providing asset maintenance advice and lifespan prediction. The project will finalize the design, test performance, and prepare for production, helping Archirit bring an innovative and cost-effective solution to the industr

Conception et création d’un nouveau matériau issu de la fusion du verre et d’un autre solide (céramique, verre…)

Les verres d’oxydes occupent présentement une place considérable dans tous les secteurs industriels. L’intérêt majeur de ces verres réside dans leur large éventail de propriétés grâce à la possibilité de créer des objets personnalisés pour répondre aux demandes d’une application particulière. De ce fait, l’innovation est essentielle pour découvrir des nouveaux verres qui peuvent être utilisés dans diverses applications où les verres de silice classiques ont déjà atteint leurs limites de performance. C’est dans ce contexte qu’est né ce projet qui s’intéresse au développement d’un nouveau verre d’oxyde de nouvelles compositions vitreuses basées sur la présence de composés fortement ioniques de formule SiO2-Na2O-Al2O3-MxOy (M = B, La, Ba, Sr…). La synthèse de ce matériau sera effectuée tout en apportant des modifications dans les compositions de verre pour le rendre plus résistant au choc thermique, facile à utiliser et opérationnel. Les propriétés thermo-mécaniques, la durabilité chimique envers des milieux agressifs et la capacité à générer des cristaux de façon contrôlable de compositions vitreuses spécifiques seront étudiées. Dans le but de déterminer les énergies d’activation et les coefficients d’Avrami et d’optimiser les paramètres thermiques, des études de dévitrification seront effectuées également.

Morton Food Service

This project will help Morton’s Foods make better day-to-day decisions and coordinate customer outreach. We will review available sales, orders, product, and inventory data to define a short list of clear KPIs and build easy-to-read dashboards for leaders and operations. In parallel, we will set up a simple, multi-user SMS process with shared templates, consent/opt-out handling, and basic tracking of replies and re-orders. The work will fit the tools the company already uses and be documented so staff can maintain it. Expected benefits include a consistent view of performance and trends, quicker customer follow-ups, improved demand visibility, fewer stockouts, and stronger repeat orders for the partner organization.

TrendAI Market Innovation Research

Project Summary

TrendAI is an advanced AI-powered SaaS platform designed to transform the fashion industry by enabling brands to anticipate trends, optimize inventory, and improve customer engagement. This project centers on two complementary initiatives: primary market research and innovation development.

The research project focuses on identifying niche opportunities within the Canadian fashion market and ensuring strong product-market fit. Key activities include mapping target customer segments such as independent retailers, mid-sized brands, and e-commerce businesses; analyzing their pain points in demand forecasting, inventory management, and consumer engagement; and validating the effectiveness of TrendAI’s solution. A critical component of this research is the recruitment of potential customers as beta testers. Their insights will shape TrendAI’s roadmap, ensuring its features and strategy are directly aligned with industry needs.

The innovation project builds on these insights to refine TrendAI’s business model, marketing strategies, and product offerings. Emphasis will be placed on enhancing AI algorithms for improved forecasting accuracy, developing a user-friendly interface, and ensuring seamless integration with e-commerce and inventory management systems. In parallel, targeted go-to-market strategies will be developed to accelerate adoption among Canadian fashion brands.

A marketing intern will play a vital role in executing these initiatives, conducting competitive and trend research, engaging early adopters, supporting marketing content and campaigns, and analyzing customer feedback.

The methodology combines AI-driven market analysis, digital marketing tools, and structured feedback loops through surveys, interviews, and beta testing. This iterative approach ensures both the product and strategy evolve in line with customer requirements and market realities.

The outcome of this project will be a validated market position in Canada, a strong base of early adopters, and a refined platform offering. By aligning its innovative analytics solution with customer needs, TrendAI is positioned to become a leader in AI-powered solutions for the fashion industry.

AI-Driven Workplace Accommodation System

Magnify Access is partnering with Sheridan’s Centre for Applied AI (CAAI) to advance the Workplace Accommodation System (W-PAS), a technology platform designed to streamline workplace accommodations for employees with disabilities. This collaborative project has two key objectives: (A) to strengthen the Artificial Intelligence (AI) component of W-PAS to improve the accuracy and relevance of its accommodation recommendations and (B) to validate the platform’s assumptions and outputs through research and testing. The project will engage Sheridan’s staff, faculty, and students in developing machine learning models using curated datasets of workplace accommodations, functional limitations, and environments. It will also include structured validation activities, such as user testing and expert reviews, to ensure that W-PAS’s recommendations align with real-world needs and accessibility standards. The anticipated outcomes include the creation of a robust, AI-enabled recommendation engine, evidence-based insights into accommodation best practices, and new knowledge on how AI can reduce barriers in workplace inclusion. For Sheridan’s students, this project will provide valuable applied research experience in AI, accessibility, and inclusive design. For industry and community partners, the project promises a validated and scalable solution that improves efficiency for employers, reduces bias in decision-making, and creates a more equitable and productive work environment for employees with disabilities.

Large Scale Airline Crew Scheduling

In the airline industry, crew planning is an essential task that every airline will face. Flight crew expenses constitute the second largest operating cost (Kohl and Karisch. 2004), second only to the rising cost of fuel. Crew planning refers to the assignment of flight segments to pilots and flight attendants so that they start and end at their base city, do not work more than the allowed time, etc. Because crew planning has a significant economic impact on the financial wellbeing of an airline, even small percentage improvements can easily translates into large cost savings, especially in nowadays’ highly competitive aviation industry with many low-fare carriers and thin profit margins. Given the numbers of flights and flight attendants, optimizing such an operation for an airline is daunting task. Navtech is a Waterloo-based company that specializes in helping airlines perform this complex operation. The current project will explore more advanced ways to improve the current solution platform they provide.

Biomedical Engineering Research Internship

The proposed project aims to improve and scale femfit – a medical device designed to help women manage urinary incontinence – for increased manufacturing capabilities and improved performance. Interns Sarah Mack and Mairi Brydon will work alongside acclaimed researchers at the pelvic floor group of the University of Auckland; Sarah focusing on adjusting the injection molding manufacturing process to accommodate a larger production volume, and Mairi researching ways to make the sensor array within femfit more durable. By enhancing the reliability and production capabilities of femfit the interns are contributing to urinary incontinence research – an extremely relevant yet rarely discussed aspect of women’s health. This research helps to connect two institutes on opposite sides of the globe, aiding in strengthening the research community at Memorial University by fostering connections between students and professors alike. It reinforces Memorial’s position as a reputable and innovative institute, and provides the interns with unique international research, training, and learning opportunities.