Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Media Advisory: Algonquin College to launch new Construction Research Centre

Posted on Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

CRC launch

New research centre, founded through research grants and industry contributions, to be unveiled, providing new learning and partnership opportunities.

Date of event: Friday, January 30 from 9:45 – 11 a.m.

What:

On January 30, 2015, Algonquin College will officially open the doors of its Construction Research Centre, a facility containing approximately $2.8 million worth of brand new research equipment and software to support applied research in ACCE and Media and Design programs.

This centre, located within the Am-Tech Electrical Lab, was established through funding from Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Research Fund, and contributions from private industry – all told, the support totals $3.15 million of equipment and infrastructure to enhance Algonquin College’s capabilities to conduct research in the area of construction in both Ottawa and Perth, Ontario

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Galileo Interactive Business Navigator wins Applied Research Day 12.2

Posted on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2014

Galileo Marketo

Galileo Galilei once said, “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”

Discovering truths about how businesses operate and make decisions, and providing a map of the key information about their network of suppliers, partners, processes, lines of business, distribution channels and customers was the goal of the Galileo Interactive Business Navigator project – an Applied Research project undertaken by Algonquin College students and faculty, along with client Global Advantage Consulting Group. The project took first place at today’s Applied Research Day 12.2.

Six students and two faculty members, including Adam Jarvis from the Interactive Multimedia Developer program worked on the Interactive Business Navigator project.

Taking second place at Applied Research Day 12.2 was an eCommerce website designed for Hummingbird Chocolate Maker. The site was designed using WordPress as their main platform, and using Shopify for their new online store.

In third was MicroMetrics Customer Insight Platform, a product that allows companies to survey customers in-store, rather than sending them home with a code on their receipt to use online.

Three times a year, Algonquin College students and employees, together with industry partners and professionals, come together for Applied Research Day. These projects span a variety of programs and business sectors, and aim to solve everyday challenges faced by organizations and individuals.

Over 25 projects, were displayed in Algonquin College’s Marketplace Food Court and shown to students, faculty, and employers looking for talented future employees and collaboration opportunities. The day ended with a short award ceremony for winning projects.

Applied Research Day will kick off another round of projects in 2015.

Algonquin College Officially Announced as a Founding Member of CENGN

Posted on Tuesday, November 11th, 2014

CENGN

CENGN, launched recently in Kanata, is a consortium of industry, academia, and research institutes dedicated to accelerating the commercialization of next generation communications solutions.

(Ottawa, November 10, 2014) At the launch of the headquarters for the Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks (CENGN), Algonquin College was announced as one of the founding members of CENGN. Algonquin College has been involved as a key player in establishing CENGN for the past two years – from the concept and proposal preparation, to winning the bid, and now to CENGN’s launch.

“Algonquin College is proud to be a founding member of CENGN,” says Claude Brulé, Vice President Academic, Algonquin College. “This innovative centre will create additional hands-on learning and research opportunities for our students, and new opportunities for research and collaboration between the College and industry.”

CENGN is a consortium of industry, academia and research institutes dedicated to accelerating the commercialization of next generation communications solutions. CENGN will help bridge the gap between research and commercialization – a key component to building successful startup companies. CENGN members are collaborating to lower the barrier to entry for small and medium companies and researchers.

CENGN is an Ottawa-based not-for-profit that aims to ensure Canada maintains its position as a world leader in next generation network technologies. It has acquired $11.7 million over five years in federal government funding and will be receiving contributions from industry (cash & in-kind contribution) and from the academia (in-kind contribution) with a total of $54.7 million.

The College is a CENGN academic partner and will conduct collaborative research with industry in next generation communications. The Ciena Optophotonics lab at Algonquin College will be connected to CENGN’s testbed with the aim of accelerating research to commercialization.

“CENGN will establish Canada as a global leader in the commercialization of the technologies that will underpin the next generation of converged global communication networks,” says Professor Dr. Wahab Almuhtadi, Algonquin College representative at CENGN. “The College will make a difference in conducting applied research and providing high qualified faculty and students who will help industry from conducting research to commercialization.”

Most Productive Research College in Canada: Algonquin College

Posted on Tuesday, November 4th, 2014

ARI top 50 research collegeWhat is more important – receiving more money, or using it more effectively?

For Algonquin College, the answer is clear. Despite taking in less research dollars than some fellow Canadian colleges, Algonquin led the country in college research productivity in fiscal 2013, with 120 research partnerships and 180 completed projects.

“This is a fantastic result for our Applied Research team, and great news for our students” says Dr. Mark Hoddenbagh, Acting Executive Director, Partnerships and Applied Research. “Applied Research offers an exceptional work integrated learning opportunity by connecting our students with prospective employers who need their talents to succeed. We are thrilled to be able to offer this hands-on learning opportunity to so many of our students at all three of our Ontario campuses, and we look forward to expanding our offerings in the coming years.”

Algonquin College’s research dollars also grew approximately 28 per cent from 2012 to 2013, to just shy of $1.9 million.

You may be wondering – what are the kinds of research projects that Algonquin College takes part in? Take Gymtrack as one example. The two young founders of this Ottawa-based company approached the College looking for a place to test their new system, which allows gym members to automatically track their workouts and receive auditory feedback in real-time. Through the Algonquin Fitness Zone, the company was connected to the College’s Applied Research and Innovation team who linked the Gymtrack team with two students – a designer and a programmer. The two developed a mobile app – a core part of the Gymtrack system – and the company’s corporate image. Since then, the students have graduated their programs and they now work for Gymtrack full-time.

Gymtrack, meanwhile, has been invited into the prestigious 500 Start-ups Accelerator in San Francisco and also participated in the 500 Start-ups demo day, receiving rave reviews. They continue to work on their next stage of product development through the College and the Algonquin Students’ Association Fitness Zone.

In addition to linking companies, like Gymtrack, with students and funding, the College also assists in getting the word out about their product in the community. The Applied Research Office showcases the exciting research work being done three times a year at what are called “Applied Research Days”. Held at the end of each academic term, these events highlight between 30 and 80 Algonquin College Applied Research projects and partnerships across the Ottawa Valley.

See the full release of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges from Research Infosource here.

See Research Infosource’s Top 50 list here.

Winners of Applied Research Day 12.1

Posted on Friday, August 22nd, 2014

MicroMetrics bannerIt’s common when shopping at stores these days to get an invitation to go to a website, enter some long string of numbers, and fill out a survey for a chance to win some great prize.

But it won’t be common for much longer.

MicroMetrics, an Ottawa based company, aims to replace those surveys with in-store tablet displays that let retail companies collect the data instantly and act on it – in some cases, before the customer leaves the store.

This project, supported by students Nahed Abu Hadba; Alexander Butt-Piercey; Mark Collantes; Ian Durkin; Nigel Elton; Mila Hutchison; Matt MacLeod; Cristha Sinden-Masson; and led by Principal Investigator Eric McQuiggan, took first place at Applied Research Day 12.1, held today at Algonquin College. First prize earns the team $500! How’s that for feedback?

Second place, and $250, went to L8RCall, an app that allows you to record cellphone messages for later delivery. Keep an eye on these guys – you might be hearing about them later!

Third place went to GYMTRACK – students created a mobile app that syncs with GYMTRACK’s automated tracking system and personal trainer. The system can now provide audio feedback during your workouts – thankfully, you can adjust the volume so no one else can hear.

Applied Research Day is held every four months at Algonquin College and highlights applied research projects being done at the College. Applied Research unites students, faculty, and industry partners to solve everyday personal and business challenges.