Innovation in action: How Mitacs partnerships are powering Canada’s future 

This is a critical time for Canada to think big about how to build a future-proofed economy for the benefit of all Canadians. We need bold and coordinated action to address urgent challenges in global competitiveness, productivity, and technological transformation and disruption.  

Within this context, there is an urgent need to strengthen research and innovation capacity and investment, accelerate commercialization, and build a stronger and more resilient economy.  

Mitacs’ new Strategic Plan 2026–2030: Talent and Research Powering Innovation lays out a roadmap to meet this moment through its vision to build a strong and resilient Canadian economy powered by ideas, talent, and innovation. 

For over 25 years, Mitacs has helped grow the economy and develop the workforce of tomorrow by connecting academia with industry and global partners to solve real-world challenges. The partnerships and successes profiled in our new strategic plan demonstrate what’s possible when talent and research align to power innovation. 

Read on to discover how a Mitacs partnership could be the next step in your innovation journey. 

RBC Borealis: Advancing AI solutions for a global financial future 

RBC Borealis, a leader in AI for financial services, has built nearly a decade of collaboration with Mitacs. More than 120 interns have contributed to groundbreaking advancements, from improved speech-to-text systems to machine learning methods that enhance financial forecasting and event prediction. Recent innovations include Flora, a technique that pre-trains multi-billion-parameter language models on a single GPU, reducing barriers for Canadian AI research. 

This partnership highlights how collaborative research deepens Canada’s AI expertise and anchors highly skilled talent in the country.

Thales: Applied AI research that protects people

At its cortAIx labs in Québec City and Montréal, Thales is applying AI to some of the aerospace sector’s most complex challenges. Through long-standing Mitacs partnerships, researchers have contributed to autonomous obstacle detection, improved take-off and landing systems, and predictive maintenance tools that strengthen aviation safety and reliability. 

Today, former Mitacs interns make up about one-third of the cortAIx workforce — a clear demonstration of how applied research builds specialized, future-ready talent in critical sectors.

FluidAI Medical: Scaling Canadian health innovation

FluidAI Medical’s journey reflects the path from academic insight to commercial success — the innovation journey at the heart of the strategic plan. Founded by students at the University of Waterloo, the enterprise is transforming post-operative care through their real-time monitoring technology called StreamTM.

Since 2016, Mitacs has supported key stages of FluidAI’s growth: prototype development, R&D, clinical validation, and business expansion. This partnership helped reduce research risk, accelerate commercialization, and train the next generation of medtech professionals. It also improved patient outcomes across Canada and strengthened connections between academia, industry, and healthcare.

Deadwood Innovations: Transforming forest residue into housing solutions

In northern British Columbia, a Mitacs-supported project is helping Deadwood Innovations create value-added wood products from forest residue using environmentally friendly chemical treatment and radio frequency (RF) heating.

In partnership with the Nak’azdli Development Corporation, the company is developing modular housing kits to support rural and Indigenous communities. This project demonstrates how innovation can advance economic growth and community impact simultaneously.

GIT Coatings: Advancing Green Marine Innovation

What began as a Dalhousie University research project is now a global environmental success story. GIT Coatings manufactures advanced hull coatings that reduce drag, improve vessel efficiency, and help keep more than 500 ships worldwide cleaner and more sustainable. 

Many of the company’s R&D leaders originally joined through Mitacs internships, underscoring how research partnerships build long-term Canadian expertise in clean marine technology.

C𝘷ictus: Feeding the world sustainably

Calgary-based C𝘷ictus Inc. is addressing the global challenge of sustainable animal feed. Supported by Mitacs and working with researchers at the University of Alberta, the company has doubled productivity in its bioprocessing methods compared to traditional technologies.

As C𝘷ictus moves into feed trials, the project exemplifies how high-impact innovation can emerge when start-ups gain access to academic expertise, research infrastructure, and talent, while reducing environmental impact. 

Granville Biomedical: Global leadership from Newfoundland and Labrador

Granville Biomedical is revolutionizing women’s health education through anatomically accurate pelvic models used in over 30 countries. With Mitacs’ support, the enterprise is now developing an AI-enabled education platform to enhance training for clinicians, trainees, and patients.

This work embodies the strategic plan’s commitment to inclusive innovation and advancing health equity through research.

Looking ahead: Talent and research powering innovation
As Mitacs enters its next chapter, these projects show what is possible when talent, research, and partnerships come together — accelerating Canada’s productivity and global competitiveness.  

Ready to take the next step in your innovation journey? Explore how Mitacs can support your next project. 

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About Mitacs  

For over 25 years, Mitacs has helped grow the economy and develop the workforce of tomorrow, connecting industry with academia and global partners to solve real-world challenges. We support business-academic research collaboration through internships, co-funded with businesses, for undergraduate to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.   

As a national innovation connector, Mitacs takes a talent-first approach to strengthen innovation capacity and drive global competitiveness. We serve as an essential research-commercialization bridge, accelerating market entry and growth for new products and services.   

This is a critical time for Canada to think big and take bold action. Mitacs is ready to help build a strong and resilient Canadian economy, powered by ideas, talent and innovation.   

Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon. 

Ready to explore your next collaboration?

Connect with a Mitacs Advisor and discover how applied research and talent can help your organization solve its next challenge.