Since 2009, Cambrian R&D, the applied research arm of Cambrian College, has been helping industry and community partners in Sudbury, Ont. innovate by connecting them with our expert faculty and staff and student researchers. Drawing from the college’s range of academic programs and suite of specialized equipment, Cambrian R&D tackles challenges in all sectors.

We are especially renowned for our mining innovation projects. In 2019, Cambrian was awarded its first Technology Access Centre (TAC), a specialized research hub, from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Cambrian’s Centre for Smart Mining is one of two in Canada with a focus on mining innovation. The Centre demystifies new technologies in the mining sector by creating strategic R&D partnerships and access to specialized equipment.

To learn more about Cambrian R&D and how our Centre for Smart Mining can be your gateway to innovation, please visit cambriancollege.ca/rd.

The CCNB-INNOV, a network of three applied research centers, has established itself as the trusted partner of the Atlantic Canadian SMEs in their journey to innovate, whether they operate in industrial manufacturing, agriculture, bioprocessing, or shipbuilding verticals. It has aggressively pursued its mission of accelerating the adoption of technology in SMEs by expanding its capacities in robotics, automation, welding, material testing, and digital manufacturing over the last three years.

One of the initiatives that led to a wide-scale success in the metal fabrication industry was offering solutions to thermal stress and distortion in weldments. By acquiring one of its kind welding simulation software and stress relief equipment, CCNB-INNOV delivered novel solutions to increase the efficiency and performance of metal fabrication projects for companies across the country. The new capacity and track record have helped CCNB-INNOV establish itself among only handful of organizations with such specialized expertise in Canada.

Quantum computing has the potential to solve problems beyond the capabilities of conventional supercomputers and could produce a revolution in biochemistry, finance, cryptography, and AI. The power of quantum computers is at an inflection point and the industry is going to experience a surge in performance in the coming years.

CMC is a member of Canada’s first IBM Q-Hub at Université de Sherbrooke, providing programming services on this platform – IBM’s most powerful – for academic and industrial researchers. We also participate in the QSciTech-QuantumBC training program, allowing researchers to use this powerful machine to its fullest potential.

CMC also partnered with Xanadu, a Toronto-based photonic quantum computer company, on the Xanadu Quantum Sandbox. CMC will help companies and researchers use Xanadu’s made-in-Canada quantum platform.

As we do for microelectronics, photonics, nanomaterials, and other technologies, CMC fills gaps and facilitates research in the Canadian quantum ecosystem which will be strategically important for Canada.

Communities and industries have been challenged to be innovative, adaptable and prudent as they navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic. Lambton College is providing access to expertise, infrastructure and funding to industry and community to meet immediate public needs, adopt new processes and technologies, develop long term solutions and support the rebuilding of the economy. In response to urgent community need, Lambton College’s Research & Innovation department supported our community to address PPE shortages. Lambton worked closely with service providers and industry to adapt new technologies and processes, allowing them to revise their product and delivery models – permitting them to sustain or pivot. We are in partnership developing long-term and complex solutions that will have global impact including testing and vaccine technologies. Moving forward we are focused on collaborating with key stakeholders in developing and implementing responsive economic, workforce, and training development strategies and solutions.

Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), The industry-led non-profit that leads Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster is harnessing the country’s strengths in research, technology, workforce and manufacturing to pioneer better ways to build. Founded in 2017, NGen has leveraged federal contributions of over $148 million to support 62 collaborative, transformational advanced manufacturing projects to generate a total of $359 million in new innovation spending. NGen’s efforts to connect the Canadian manufacturing and technology ecosystems has resulted in the ability to leverage significant private sector investment in these projects at a rate of $1.42 for every dollar of Supercluster funding. Not only are these collaborative projects meeting demands of the private sector and creating new jobs, products and processes, but they are also delivering benefits to Canadians in the form of cleaner energy, more sustainable industrial processes, more resilient supplies of food and medical products.

Red River College (RRC), Manitoba’s only polytechnic, is partnering with industry to lead the way in the province’s economic recovery from COVID-19. Our award-winning research enterprise is operating at full capacity, featuring three Technology Access Centres (TACs) that work with industry to promote sustainability, functionality, and innovation. Our TACs bolster Manitoba’s economy by supporting three key areas of research and development: culinary research and food sciences, building efficiency technology, and aerospace and manufacturing as well as the interfaces between them.

By developing projects with partners that directly impact our community’s fallout from COVID-19 – such as CancerCare Manitoba in the production of new wheelbases for IV poles, and Harvest Manitoba on protein-rich dehydrated soup mixes for people in need – RRC is not only helping partners grow the economy, but laying the groundwork for a thriving community in the years to come. For more information, visit rrc.ca/research

Ryerson Researchers Predict Lung Disease with Machine Learning

Researchers from the Quantitative Image Analysis in Medicine lab at Ryerson University have created an innovative new way of assessing and predicting lung disease. Led by Canada Research Chair and physics professor Dr. Miranda Kirby, the lab has successfully tested a method of combining machine learning with medical imaging technology.

The technique involves taking scans of patients’ lungs and then processing the images using computer algorithms to unlock hidden information about the health of the organs. As well as revealing the presence, location and severity of any underlying conditions, this information provides a quantitative measurement of disease. This enables the scientists to apply machine learning, which can identify which patients are most likely to require health-care services in the future.

In research involving collaborators from across Canada, the interdisciplinary team showed that their imaging approach was more accurate at predicting hospitalization among smokers than clinical assessments or standard lung function measurements.

Sheridan’s Screen Industries Research and Training (SIRT) Centre is leading the acceleration of the future of content creation: Virtual Production. SIRT has developed a virtual production research centre within their 10,000 square-foot stage, at Pinewood Toronto Studios, along with a dedicated applied research team for Virtual Production innovation. With an array of technology partnerships including Epic Games (Unreal Engine), Nvidia, APG Media and ARRI, SIRT is able to provide innovation support to content creators across Canada. Over the last year, SIRT has worked closely with Pixomondo,

SPINVFX, The Other End and other VFX/Production partners to innovate their virtual production workflow. Virtual production offers solutions to industry partners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing the power of real-time video game engines to deliver high-quality graphics and visuals to screen and opening further avenues to pursue remote collaboration using these real-time tools. sirtcentre.com

The discovery of insulin by the University of Toronto 100 years ago is one of the most significant advances in the history of medicine.

On this illustrious foundation, U of T and its hospital partners built a culture of discovery, innovation and collaboration that has revolutionized health care in Canada and globally. Our discovery of stem cells sparked the promising field of regenerative medicine. Deep learning, a game-changing AI technique, further enabled the development of personalized, precision medicine. Our trailblazing genetic research opened new avenues for treating — and ultimately conquering — debilitating diseases, including diabetes. And our scientists, clinicians and global health experts are on the front lines of Canada’s response to the global pandemic.

In the years and decades ahead, we will keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, advancing the culture of ingenuity and collaboration that started a century ago.

Where will the next 100 years take us?
insulin100.utoronto.ca