Innovative Projects Realized

Building the Durham Region Food System Report Card: Assessing the opportunities and gaps in attaining a sustainable and just regional food system (Phase 2)

To address local food system issues like loss of farmland, people without enough food, or climate change impacts, it is important to see such issues as all related. This project will assess Durham Region food system resources, like local research and policy documents, to find strengths, areas to be addressed, and areas to be studied more. It will develop a more comprehensive picture of the local food system. This, along with the input of people who play various roles in the food system and people whose voices may not often be heard, will help in developing report cards to show the health of food system components in all of Durham’s municipalities. This project will help Durham’s residents better understand what is going well in the food system and what needs to change. The lead community organization partner will learn how to better help its community and how to advocate for change with other food system actors.

Opérationnaliser l’entrepreneuriat responsable et la tri profitabilité au sein de l’entreprise MOS (9358-3433 Québec inc.)

Le présent projet de recherche vise à outiller et fournir des pistes de solutions concrètes aux entrepreneurs, et plus
particulièrement aux fondateurs et gestionnaires de l’entreprise québécoise MOS (9358-3433 Québec inc.), afin de faciliter
l’intégration et l’opérationnalisation de la responsabilité et de la durabilité sociale, environnementale et économique à leurs
stratégies d’affaires ainsi qu’à leur processus de réflexion et de prise de décisions. L’organisme partenaire du projet de
recherche est MOS, une entreprise établie à Québec et fondée en 2017 par 2 jeunes entrepreneurs, dont l’actionnaire
majoritaire est d’origine Atikamewk, un peuple des Premières Nations du Canada. L’équipe MOS, constituée de 11 jeunes
diplômés et stagiaires, conçoit et commercialise du matériel et des accessoires pour simplifier le transport des équipements
de sport et de plein air sur les véhicules. Étant au début du parcours entrepreneurial et dans une première phase de croissance,
l’intégration d’outils de gestion permettant d’atteindre une tri-profitabilité (économique, sociale et environnementale) consiste
en une priorité d’ordre stratégique et éthique pour les dirigeants de l’entreprise afin d’aligner les valeurs organisationnelles et
leur mission à l’ensemble des activités et processus décisionnels de façon durable et responsable.

Towards Improving Stainless Steel Cathode Performance during Copper Electrodeposition

Stainless steel permanent cathodes are widely used in the electrodeposition of copper during its production. Copper is mechanically-stripped from the permanent cathode on a regular basis, after which the cathode is typically visually inspected, water-washed and returned to the production cell. However, offline refurbishment is required to ensure a high quality product (chemical purity, surface roughness and morphology), and efficient mechanical stripping and tank house operation. The objective of the research proposed is to develop physical description of used cathode surface as it evolves during offline refurbishment based on advanced surface characterization. The knowledge generated will identify promising refurbishment strategies to provide improved performance and thus, increased lifetime. Benefits specific to EPCM Services include a made in Canada knowledge-based approach to providing top quality refurbished cathodes, which will only maintain, but grow, their market share of the global mining industry.

Automation of multi-factorial neurodevelopmental toxicity and neurodegeneration analysis using Ananda Devices NeuroHTSTM plates

Ananda Devices has developed an innovative technology to produce high-throughput organ-on-chip technology for
commercialization in the pharma industry and cosmetic industry. For cost effective and fast commercializing the device, semi
automation/automation is required for the high throughput data analysis. Further validation of the automation algorithm is
required for data accuracy. So, our aim is to develop and validate the automation strategies to be used for analysis of high
through put imaging of the Neuro-HTS device, more specifically analysis of neuronal growth, cell counts, connectivity and
degeneration.

LadderSpike’s A Safe Step Up

Ladder Spike inc is a new Manufacturing start-up specializing in ladder safety equipment. The company was registered in February,2021, shortly after joining the Genesis Centre’s program called evolution. Through the program Dale Kean became my fist investor and now business partner, along with  finishing the program and securing a spot in the event called Pitch & Pick in April,2021. Since leaving the program, business and product development has been top priority, and with product development coming to an end , it is a key point in our plan to hire an intern to help plan, develop and execute a “Bring To Market Strategy” over the next 4 months, through internship. This will include business plan finalization, Build & launch website, Start Social media, Copy development, and to help develop strategic campaigns, based on an overall timeline to bring awareness to our new start-up and Product launch.  This project will provide a pathway for us to develop our market roadmap using innovative go-to-market strategies and marketing. 

Development of Culturally Appropriate Outreach Strategies

SmartIce is hosting an intern to help develop culturally appropriate outreach strategies as part of it’s ongoing mission. This position involves a high degree of responsibility and autonomy, working independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary, Pan-Canada team and invovles working with project staff and partners to plan and coordinate logistics for engagement with a broad range of stakeholders throughout Inuit Nunangat.

FusionHub Software Development

This project will entail the software development of FusionHub’s platform. FusionHub is an industrial asset maintenance tracking software empowered through cross-platform data interconnectivity, collaboration between maintainers, and predictive analytics.

Accelerating Packaging Machinery Design and Assembly

Edson designs and manufactures innovative machines used for case packaging of goods, food, pharmaceuticals, and other products into corrugated boxes. Machine steps include automatic feeding of the boxes, folding, adding the product, and closing the box top. Market pressures require client ability to swiftly change over to package a new product. Edson must also be able to rapid customize design and correctly manufacture for a potential new client machine sale. Towards this goal the project will create 3D solid part models and intelligent subassembly hierarchies. Mating points on parts will be identified geometric tolerancing analysis, and best assembly sequences will be documented. Modern Design for Manufactuability and Assembly (DFMA) methods, including Poka-Yoke, ergonomics, etc. will be emphasized. The success of the effort will be measured by internal video capture during actual assembly, time and error reduction, client feedback, etc.

Improving Organizational Capacity for Data-Driven Insights and Planning

Seafair is a strategic leadership and community investment company. As a local organization founded and operating in Newfoundland & Labrador, we employ individuals across the province in urban, rural and remote settings in the delivery of community, home and residential care; safety supply and services; consumer health services; and in community development and capacity building efforts. In addition to our operations in Newfoundland & Labrador, Seafair operates a growing skilled-care home care agency, Life Home Health, in Florida, and is engaged in work with several First Nations across Canada.

Across our companies we utilize various digital tools and technologies to serve our communities, employees and customers. This project will help us develop organization capacity to leverage the data within these systems, alongside external sources to better understand our customers, our business and market needs.

Mernini’s innovation-based digital marketing expansion

This project will seek to identify and implement a new digitalization strategy to optimize mernini online and retail sales. It will optimize its sales funnel management to activate dormant leads and customers and to generate more leads and sales.

Inventory of Models and Practice in Community Focused and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and Humanities Research

What does Kmb look like in the social sciences and humanities? Processes that lead to impact start with the creation of new knowledge (output) meant to transform approaches and attitudes, build competency and/or new types of relationships (outcomes). (See e.g., Bailey & Phipps 2019 and Phipps et al. 2016). These changes, in turn, may lead to positive economic, social and/or environmental transformations, but whether this happens is largely out of the sphere of control of researchers. In the social sciences and humanities (SSH), Kmb presents particular challenges, including those rooted in perceptions and value judgements that are often prejudicial and inaccurate, such as those associated with the idea that studying humanities will give you a “Barista degree” or that SSH knowledge “really is just common sense”.
The objective is to build on a scoping review to make an inventory of approaches to community-focused SSH knowledge mobilisation and interdisciplinary collaborations in Canadian universities to identify (i) incentives and (ii) recognition and reward
processes as well as (iii) drivers and barriers to community-focused SSH knowledge mobilisation.

Characterization of Simple In Vivo Models of Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT) Disease

Modelis is a drug discovery platform company focused solely on rare, genetic diseases. Our unique approach combines genetically-engineered worms which are ‘avatars’ of human patients, with high-throughput drug screening. This results in a dramatically accelerated drug discovery process. Our platform is perfectly suited for genes that are evolutionarily and functionally conserved such as FIG4, and the related disorder Charcot-Marie-Tooth 4J (CMT4J). This project will focus on engineering and phenotyping worm ‘avatars’ for high-throughput drug screening and performing the drug screens in worms. The best candidate hits will further enter a preclinical pipeline using patients’ cells.