Innovative Projects Realized

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

31133 Completed Projects

2940
AB
5159
BC
837
MB
685
NL
882
SK
9292
ON
9695
QC
97
PE
601
NB
1161
NS

Projects by Category

Unsolicited Proposals as Tools for Innovation

Public procurement plays a crucial role in enabling governments to achieve their goals. Unsolicited proposals represent a departure from the usual procurement process used by governments, in that they involve a private firm submitting a proposal to develop a project or to deliver goods and services in the absence of a formal or informal request. Although the use of unsolicited proposals can present challenges, especially relating to transparency and competition, they can also spur business innovation, as well as provide social and/or environmental benefits. This research project will provide a systematic review of policies and practices that can be used to maximize the potential benefits associated with unsolicited proposals, while minimizing the potential risks and barriers to participation. The results of this research will help inform updates to the City of Toronto’s current policy with respect to unsolicited proposals, and will also be of interest to other public sector actors.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Angela Lee

Student:

Partner:

City of Toronto

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Public administration; Utilities

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program:

Accelerate

Full-Scale Testing of an E-Motor Cooling System

Automotive makers are facing increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift from the use of more conventional internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles. Along with this shift comes a demand for on-board electronics that can operate at higher power densities, such as the electric motor. A less utilized, yet cheaper and more efficient e-motor type is a wound-field synchronous motor. WFSM motors have encountered a major thermal barrier as standard cooling solutions such as cooling jackets and shaft cooling are not capable of removing the high heat loads generated in the rotor windings. In this project, a novel jet cooling solution is introduced. The jet cooling system will be subjected to experimentation. Results from the experiments will be used for calibration of the numerical model. Favorable outcomes may lead to commercialization of the jet cooling system and potentially solve the thermal management barrier experienced by WFSM motors.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ramaswami Balachandar;Ram Balachandar

Student:

Partner:

Magna

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing; Wholesale trade

University:

University of Windsor

Program:

Accelerate

Optimal Patient Journey Management Utilizing Queuing Theory

This project aims to design, develop, and deploy a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Patient Queuing System in the Ambulatory Care Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Charlottetown, PE. This work will develop and test a prototype which then be used to help further discovery potentially leading to more efficient resource allocation.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Nadja Bressan

Student:

Partner:

Health PEI

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Prince Edward Island

Program:

Accelerate

Evaluation of mechanical performance and in-situ health monitoring using destructive and non-destructive testing of cellulosic fiber reinforced cement composites

Today, construction activities have resulted in the depletion of vast amounts of non-renewable resources that cause climate change which is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our day. The construction industry is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Sustainable construction is now mainstream, necessitating the investigation of environmentally friendly construction materials like cellulosic fibers. One of the potential applications of cellulose fibers is in development of cement-based composites. Aside from their tremendous environmental appeal these Composites minimize the cost of building components while maintaining their mechanical and physical properties. In this project, the mechanisms of innovative cellulose compositions that are produced from lignocellulosic biomass at ambient conditions in cement paste, mortar, and concrete will be examined to accomplish the required objectives. The production of these fibers at ambient temperature makes them both novel and sustainable. Such fibers have never been used before in cementitious matrices. Several tests will be conducted on the proposed sustainable cellulosic fiber reinforced cement-based composites in order to determine the material’s mechanical, shrinkage, sealing, and durability properties and the condition of the suggested composites will be evaluated using several NDT techniques.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Rishi Gupta

Student:

Partner:

SixRing Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

Expanding the Talk Today Program to Canadian University Sports

University student-athletes are susceptible to anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. Academic institutions need to support athletes by promoting positive mental health, reducing stigma and providing resources. This project will explore if integrating the Talk Today program positively effects student-athletes’ attitudes towards help-seeking and help-seeking behaviours. Originally launched by CMHA Ontario Division in partnership with the OHL in 2014, Talk Today provides an important opportunity to address the mental health needs of athletes across Canada. The program includes a pre-season suicide awareness workshop, an ongoing accessible support network, and a game-day event designed to increase conversation around mental health and suicide. Interns will evaluate the effectiveness of Talk Today and co-write/present data to stakeholders. Data will offer valuable feedback to CMHA Ontario providing the foundation to justify the integration of the program into university athletics across Canada. This expansion will increase accessibility and awareness of the program and potentially leading to additional financial support.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Philip Sullivan

Student:

Partner:

Canadian Mental Health Association

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Other services (except public administration)

University:

Brock University

Program:

Accelerate

Key Innovations Inc – Brand and Business Development – Jackson Drew

After it started as a home-based custom uniform manufacturing business over a few decades ago, Key Innovations is now creating exclusive merchandise that businesses use to make their brand more tangible, lasting, and memorable. Our mission is to provide not only innovative, but also sustainable branded products that support business development and create a strong market awareness. The Brand & Business Development intern will employ creative technical ideas to improve our order processing system and to create an efficient flow for our orders from quoting to delivery. This project will enable an innovative strategic plan, built on a fresh perspective, to be used in improving our website design. The intern will take the lead and identify what would be the best approach to promote our services and will support the design of a marketing plan focused on a well-formulated market penetration strategy. The project will also involve developing a campaign and using surveys in order to expand our geographical customer base.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Heather Harrison

Student:

Partner:

Key Innovations Inc.

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Manufacturing; Retail trade

University:

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Program:

Business Strategy Internship

Hybrid Small UAV Powerplant

An analysis is to be conducted to investigate the integration of a hybrid power system for a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A hybrid power system is proposed as a substitute to the existing batteries to enhance the endurance of UAV systems. A UAV with flexible PV?panels and a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is to be modeled. UAV propulsion tests are to be conducted to determine the required electrical power. The required power is to be used to determine the endurance of the UAV with the hybrid power system. This endurance enhancement is a novel design that can result in reduced operating cost for the UAVs. The partner organisation can benefit from it as they intend to expand their business. This new development in the UAV can expand the partner organisation’s customers and the market potential.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ibrahim Dincer

Student:

Partner:

Mono Lights Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Program:

Accelerate

Unravelling the challenges of preventing and treating musculoskeletal disorder in performing artists

Musculoskeletal disorder episodes (MDEs) are widespread among dancers and can have severe consequences on one’s physical and mental health. Given their impact, prevention and treatment of MDEs is essential. However, dancers and health care professionals face challenges during the rehabilitation that could affect its outcome. This study will explore the views of professional ballet dancers and their health professionals regarding the prevention and treatment of MDEs. We will conduct interviews among both populations to identify challenges and potential facilitators related to the rehabilitation of dancers. Following these interviews, we will identify at least one facilitator that can be implemented in the dance community investigated. More interviews will be conducted to assess the satisfaction of dancers and health care professionals following the implementation of a facilitator. This project will yield important results that will lead to a better understanding of the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal disorder episodes in performing artists.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Mélanie Morin

Student:

Partner:

Amsterdam UMC

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Université de Sherbrooke

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Technical and Procedural Knowledge Extraction with Question Answering

Engineering organisations like Thales rely on large quantities of technical knowledge. When resolving a technical problem, for example, users have to follow a multi-step procedure in which the steps are described with various levels of detail, may not be up to date, or may not target the exact problem they are facing. In this context, our project aims at developing AI language and knowledge representation models that will represent technical knowledge from an unstructured dataset of procedures, in order to identify missing knowledge through a question-answering process. By integrating such models with our knowledge management solutions, we expect to identify procedures that need to be improved, the specific information that needs improvement, and which information or person in the organisation could provide this improvement.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Bang Liu

Student:

Partner:

Thales Canada Inc (Montreal, QC)

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Management of companies and enterprises; Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Université de Montréal

Program:

Accelerate

Finning Canada – Human Resources Internship – Nadia & Ruth

Finning is the world’s largest Caterpillar dealer delivering unrivalled service for over 80 years. We sell, rent and provide parts and services for equipment and engines to customers in various industries, including mining, construction, petroleum, forestry and a wide range of power systems applications. This project will provide us with support in developing our onboarding program for our heavy equipment technicians. The interns will work closely with our Learning and Development and Talent Acquisition teams to pilot and schedule a rotating onboarding program based on where most of our technicians are being hired. The project work will include executing an onboarding plan, facilitating focus groups, and conducting surveys to understand areas for improvement.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Heather Harrison

Student:

Partner:

Finning International

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure; Mining

University:

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Program:

Business Strategy Internship

FairbnbTO: De-financializing housing through platform cooperative innovation

The recent unregulated growth of short-term rental (STR) platforms such as Airbnb have increasingly affected both tourism and housing affordability in main urban centers. FairbnbTO mobilizes STR platform technology to help housing affordability and sustainable tourism in the neighbourhood. FairbnbTO is an evidence-based research project that aims to reinstate the social benefits of STR platforms into local communities by bringing STR platform technology together with the co-operative and the community land trust movements in Canada, starting with the Kensington Market Community Land Trust (KMCLT) in Toronto. In collaboration with our international partner Fairbnb.coop, a short-term rental platform co-operative based in Italy, FairbnbTO provides a similar STR platform to that of Airbnb, with the major differences that the platform (1) is owned by a worker cooperative, (2) complies with the City of Toronto’s recent STR regulations, and, (3) will give 50% of the booking fees directly to the KMCLT to offset operational costs of the land trust. A key innovative objective of our demonstration project is to use the STR platform technology that has been increasingly contributing to the financialization of housing to begin to de-financialize housing in the tightest housing markets across Canada.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jason Spicer;Luisa Sotomayor

Student:

Partner:

Fairbnb Canada;Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI)

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Accommodation and food services

University:

University of Toronto; York University

Program:

Accelerate

Opérationnalisation des réductions de gaz à effet de serre de la production du lait : développement d’une approche systémique et intégrée d’agriculture régénératrice

Dans le cycle de vie du lait, environ 70-85% des émissions de GES sont produites au niveau de la ferme. Des stratégies de réduction de GES existent. Cette opportunité permet l’application d’une agriculture régénératrice ayant un potentiel de réduction des GES. Une opérationnalisation concrète de mesures au niveau de la ferme laitière est nécessaire. C’est dans un tel contexte que le partenariat avec la firme Logiag et ses fermes laitières clientes répondra à l’objectif principal du stage visant à développer une méthodologie pour quantifier l’empreinte carbone du lait au niveau de la ferme et de déterminer des pistes de réduction crédibles de GES. Cet objectif se réalisera par une approche systémique et intégrée dans le cadre d’une agriculture régénératrice. Ce projet est en cohérence avec le rôle de Logiag en transition climatique où on guide les producteurs agricoles à lutter contre les changements climatiques tout améliorant la santé des sols.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Patrick Faubert;Maxime Paré;Claude Villeneuve

Student:

Partner:

Logiag Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

Program:

Accelerate

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Mitacs — Return on 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.