Innovative Projects Realized

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

31620 Completed Projects

2978
AB
5221
BC
856
MB
696
NL
899
SK
9419
ON
9858
QC
98
PE
619
NB
1192
NS

Projects by Category

Non-destructive evaluation of precast concrete tunnel linings

Tunneling is growing in Canada, especially in urban areas, as systems for underground transportation. These infrastructures require advanced technologies for quality assurance and inspection. The project’s outcomes will help develop an NDT solution for the quality assurance of new tunnels and the inspection of existing tunnels across Canada, while also improving the safety and service life of these infrastructures. The proposed project will develop a framework for quality assessment of the grout used to fill annular gaps behind precast concrete tunnel linings. The performance and accuracy of various non-destructive evaluation techniques will be assessed with respect to their ability to locate and characterize hidden voids in the grouted cavity between concrete linings and bored rock. In particular, the effect of steel fibers in the concrete linings on detection accuracy will be assessed to propose guidelines for the tunnelling industry.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Martin Noel

Student:

Partner:

FPrimeC Solutions Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Ottawa

Program:

Accelerate

Évaluation de la performance de Pièces Faciales Filtrantes (PFFs) en fonction de la taille des particules, du débit de filtration, du taux d’humidité et du temps d’utilisation – Campagne d’essais

Le projet a pour objectif d’évaluer les performances des pièces faciales filtrantes (PFF) N95 utilisées dans des environnements professionnels exposés aux particules fines. Les PFFs sont testées sous diverses conditions d’utilisation, et le projet proposé s’attèle à mesurer à la fois l’efficacité de filtration et la résistance respiratoire (perte de charge) dans différentes conditions (en terme de débit, de taux d’humidité, de temps d’utilisation, etc.) dans le but d’étudier au mieux les performances des PFFs durant leur utilisation.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jean Brousseau;Yacine Yaddaden

Student:

Partner:

IRSST

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services; Public administration

University:

Université du Québec à Rimouski

Program:

Accelerate

Designing an innervated culture device to study skin wound healing

The skin provides an important protective barrier for the body. When this barrier is compromised due to injury or other insults, the skin responds by initiating a process called wound healing to restore the barrier function. Wound healing is driven by specialized cells in the skin that respond to molecular signals following injury. When wound healing fails to initiate this leads to chronic, non-healing wounds that cause issues such as pain and risk of infection, overall reducing the quality of life. Virtually every tissue of the body contains nerves which connect peripheral organs and tissues to the brain. Previous research has shown that nerves can promote wound healing, but it not clearly understood how. Furthermore, there is a need to establish models of nerve-cell interactions using cell culture systems. The objective of this research project is to develop a platform to combine peripheral nerves and cells of the skin to study the role of nerves in modulating the response of skin to injury and develop new therapeutics to promote wound healing. Understanding how nerves promote wound healing will help to develop treatments that will improve patient quality of life and reduce the costs associated with wound care.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Samantha Payne

Student:

Partner:

Organo Biotech, Inc.

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Accelerate

Managing Powerline Distribution Networks: From Conventional Methods to Digital Twin

Electricity is a pivotal sector that prioritizes reliability and safety within power systems. Traditional power network monitoring evolved with integration of sensors and satellite/aerial imagery. Nevertheless, persistent threats due to unpredictable environment changes and suboptimal maintenance are causing power outages. Simultaneously, advancements in AI enabled comprehensive analysis of inspection data, yet current approaches struggle to proactively evaluate surrounding risks. Consequently, we propose leveraging digital-twin (DT) to revolutionize powerline monitoring and response to outages. By creating virtual replicas of physical assets and integrating simulations/real data, DTs offer unparalleled insights into operational response efficiency to outages. However, applying DTs to overhead powerline monitoring remains underexplored. Here, we focus on deploying DTs to monitor and analyze overhead powerline environment. We aim to provide accurate short- and medium-term predictions of outages and responses. Hence, we proactively identify the risks and enhance the infrastructure’s resilience and sustainability, particularly in the face of climate change.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Wael Jaafar;Rami Langar

Student:

Partner:

Hydro-Quebec

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure; Professional, scientific and technical services; Utilities

University:

École de technologie supérieure

Program:

Accelerate

Investigating the Potential of Hair Follicle-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (HF-MSCs) for Neural Differentiation

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold immense potential for regenerative therapies, primarily due to their ability to differentiate into various cell types and their immunomodulatory properties. While traditionally derived from bone marrow, adipose tissue, or umbilical cord, these sources pose significant challenges, including cost, invasiveness, and availability. Recent studies suggest that human hair follicles (HF) offer a non-invasive, autologous, and accessible source of MSCs and that HF-derived MSCs share key characteristics with traditional MSCs, including multipotency and surface marker expression. In this project we will explore the potential of HF-MSCs to differentiate into neural cell types, including dopaminergic neurons with the goal of producing a foundation from which the feasibility of using HF-MSCs in neural regenerative therapies can be explored.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Melanie Alpaugh

Student:

Partner:

Acorn Biolabs

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Accelerate

Validating and Scaling WithinStride™: Feasibility Trials and Clinical Adoption Strategy

This project focuses on validating WithinStride™, a smart insole for gait rehabilitation, through piloting, feasibility, and clinical outreach. By refining usability and fostering clinician adoption, it bridges research and market integration, ensuring scalable, effective home-based rehabilitation.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Dylan Kobsar

Student:

Partner:

PROVA Innovations

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

McMaster University

Program:

Business Strategy Internship

Mitigating Fire Risks of Utility Poles: A Comprehensive Assessment of Materials, Technologies, and Life Cycle Impacts

Wildfires pose a growing threat to utility infrastructure in Canada, particularly in regions prone to extreme weather conditions. Utility poles, which support power lines and communication networks, are especially vulnerable to fire damage, leading to costly repairs and service disruptions. With the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, it is crucial to improve the fire resistance of these essential structures. Hence, this research project aims to assess the types of utility poles used in fire-prone areas across North America, with a specific focus on evaluating fire-retardant treatments for wooden poles. By conducting life cycle models, the study will analyze the long-term performance, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact of different fire protection strategies. FortisBC will benefit by integrating these findings into its maintenance and manufacturing strategies, optimizing infrastructure investments while reducing long-term costs. Additionally, the research will contribute to industry best practices, policy recommendations, and broader efforts to mitigate wildfire-related risks.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Shahria Alam

Student:

Partner:

FortisBC Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing; Utilities

University:

The University of British Columbia - Okanagan

Program:

Accelerate

Machine Learning Classification of Senescent Cells in the Human Brain: A Multi-Disorder Single-Cell RNA-Seq Approach

This project will focus on creating a better way to detect senescent cells in the brain. Senescent cells are cells that no longer divide, but can still affect nearby cells in harmful ways. By analyzing large sets of gene expression data, the intern will help the partner organization develop new AI-based methods to find these cells more easily and accurately. This is important because senescent cells are linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and old age depression. The partner organization will benefit by getting faster, more reliable tools to discover drug targets, saving both time and money. In the end, this research may lead to better treatments for age-related conditions and improve healthcare overall.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Laleh Seyyed-Kalantari

Student:

Partner:

Bough Biosciences

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

York University

Program:

Accelerate

Value and resilience of SFI forests for eastern forest birds in a changing climate

Most of the managed forests in Eastern Canada are certified for sustainability by independent agencies, notably the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Part of the definition of sustainability is the maintenance of biodiversity over the long term. This project will evaluate one aspect of biodiversity, the abundance and distribution of species of forest birds. We will create statistical models that explain how the abundance of individual species varies over time and space in relation to habitat (e.g. the tree-species that are present in the managed forest and their ages), climatic conditions, and disturbances (e.g. fire, insects like spruce budworm, and harvesting itself). With these models, we can map out the predicted abundances of each species and calculate how much of their regional populations are located within certified forests. We will also use these models to look into the future. Specifically, we will evaluate the contributions of certified forests under future conditions, by linking the models to predictions of future forest conditions, the long term patterns created by forest harvesting, and climate change to the end of the 21st century.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Steve Cumming;Junior A. Tremblay

Student:

Partner:

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture; Manufacturing

University:

Université Laval

Program:

Accelerate

Developing Domain-Specific LLM-based Agents for Automated Model Generation and Autonomous Product Configuration at Ciena

This research project will leverage Large Language Models to automatically read and interpret network product documentations, generating structured information that can help automate the configuration of network products with minimal human effort. By automating these time-consuming tasks, the project aims to help engineers accelerate their product setup process, reduce the risk of manual errors, and ensure consistent configuration across extensive product lines. These outcomes will undergo rigorous industrial validation, yielding high-impact publications, and setting a new standard for software engineering automation related in analysing complex technical documents.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Shiva Nejati;Mehrdad Sabetzadeh

Student:

Partner:

Ciena Canada (Ottawa, ON)

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Information and cultural industries; Manufacturing

University:

University of Ottawa

Program:

Accelerate

Mobile DC-Microgrid with integrated energy storage as a resilient and sustainable energy source for Nova Scotia

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Faculty Supervisor:

Hamed Aly

Student:

Partner:

Verdyn Inc.;Net Zero Atlantic

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Dalhousie University

Program:

Accelerate

Mobilité récréotouristique douce et durable: enjeux et bonnes pratiques d’aménagement de sentiers polyvalents

Dans le contexte actuel de triple crise (climatique, énergétique, économique), la dépendance aux déplacements des récréotouristes par voiture demeure un écueil dans la durabilité souhaitée des pratiques récréotouristiques. Ce projet vise à documenter de manière empirique les éléments associés à la planification et l’aménagement de sentiers polyvalent contribuant à la mobilité douce et durables des destinations récréotouristiques. Le projet de recherche est réalisé en partenariat avec l’organisme Reliefs mauriciens qui œuvre en conservation et écotourisme et qui étudie la faisabilité d’un sentier multifonctionnel 4 saisons reliant les pôles d’activités touristiques de Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc et ses environs. En plus d’une revue de littérature et d’un étalonnage de sites comparables, des entretiens individuels semi-dirigés et des ateliers de cocréation (incluant de la cartographie collaborative) avec les personnes et groupes concernés seront réalisés. Si des informations concernant les retombées et bénéfices, l’aménagement et la planification des sentiers polyvalents existent (ex. en Europe) il apparait pertinent des se pencher sur le sujet dans le contexte nord-américain, particulièrement au Québec. Pour Reliefs mauriciens, le projet est important afin de dépasser les approches traditionnelles en matière de sentiers multifonctionnels, en combinant innovation méthodologique, adaptation territoriale et intégration de principes durables.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Isabelle Falardeau;Sylvie Miaux

Student:

Partner:

Reliefs Mauriciens

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

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.