Conestoga College students receiving real-life work experience, businesses reaping benefits of cost-effective innovations that help increase productivity, profitability

Kitchener – More than 2,000 Ontario college students – including many from Conestoga College – successfully put their research and innovation skills into practice with about 400 small and medium-sized businesses across the province, thanks to a first-of-its-kind program connecting the two groups.

The unique Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation (CONII) program, created in fall 2006, is now nearing the end of its three-year term. Thanks to a recent $10 million infusion from the Ontario government, however, and as a result of the proven success of the program – which to date has involved 10 top Ontario colleges along the technology corridor between Ottawa and Windsor – the initiative has been extended for another three years.

In addition to Conestoga College in Kitchener, CONII colleges include Algonquin College in Ottawa, Fanshawe College in London, Niagara College in Welland, Sheridan College in Oakville, St. Clair College in Windsor, and Centennial College, George Brown College, Humber College and Seneca College in Toronto.

“The success of the CONII has dramatically exceeded our expectations,” said Katharine Janzen, Chair of the CONII Steering Committee and Vice-President, Research and Innovation, at Toronto’s Seneca College. Janzen said that CONII organizers had originally anticipated the participation of little more than 100 students and companies – a small fraction of the actual number of participants.

Now, with an extended mandate, “CONII will be able to provide support to even more small and medium-sized businesses and increased opportunities for a greater number of Ontario students and researchers,” Janzen said. She explained that the uniqueness of the CONII program is that it offers businesses applied versus pure research, innovative technology and solutions of a commercial nature.

“CONII members work to solve problems or meet goals driven by our business partners, an approach referred to as ‘market pull,’” said Janzen, explaining that CONII’s mandate is to develop research projects with businesses that make effective use of faculty expertise, provide students with real-world learning opportunities, and ultimately have a positive economic impact on the province’s small business sector.

During the last three years, CONII has successfully helped small and mid-sized companies across Ontario solve technical problems faster, improve the efficiency of manufacturing processes, and move products and services to market more quickly. Projects have included designing more efficient light sources and alternative energy systems that reduce pack electricity usage, enhancing the use of laser technology in industry, and revolutionizing the three-dimensional and other interactive educational gaming experiences, all while making Ontario companies more productive and profitable in the process.

Cambridge-based COM DEV International Ltd., for example, is benefitting from the CONII program by working with Integrated Advanced Manufacturing Technology students from Conestoga College. A global designer and manufacturer of space hardware, COM DEV turned to the Conestoga students to conduct a feasibility study, along with potential process design and manufacturing cost study, for automating one of the company’s manufacturing processes. COM DEV’s process includes the machining of high-precision parts, which are created in low production volumes. Current practice is to manually de-burr the machined edges with great precision to maintain the part quality. The focus of the study is on the use of robotics technology to manage the de-burring procedure.

“I can categorically say that, by bringing to bear the fresh outlook of enthusiastic students with diverse skills combined with extensive resources of the college, original and very encouraging solution concepts have been identified and demonstrated,” said Klaus Engel , Staff Scientist at COM DEV. “We are committed to continuing on this promising path toward material benefits to our manufacturing operations.”

Conestoga professor Livui Radulescu, whose students are involved in CONII projects, explained that project-based education is empowering students to learn in an environment where the instructor is a coach or facilitator. “It offers the students the chance to learn with responsibility and this responsibility is increased when the project theme is suggested by the industry,” Radulescu said. “The school also becomes more collaborative with this approach. When a project is suggested by the industry and satisfies the academic requirements at the same time, it becomes an excellent opportunity for students to learn with specific, real-life objectives in mind, apply the knowledge accumulated in class to find answers to real-life questions, and discover and develop skills needed to start and run a business or become a valuable employee.”

By tapping into the knowledge and commercialization expertise of college students and faculty, businesses are able to further a research area or address a challenge for which they may not have in-house staff or expertise,” explained Len Crispino, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

“CONII is a creative and cost-effective resource for companies, enabling them to access the innovative research and development they need to position their businesses for growth,” added Crispino, an entrepreneur who himself successfully worked with CONII member Niagara College to increase the efficiency of his business.

CONII’s areas of focus include alternative energy, environmental technologies and construction, digital media, health and life sciences, hospitality and tourism, information and communication technologies, manufacturing and materials, and viticulture and agri-business. Each of the colleges linked by CONII has established an industry innovation centre to serve as a primary contact for business owners looking for assistance. The centres then put together the strongest team from its network of colleges for each particular company and business issue.

All businesses are welcome and encouraged to contact their local college for help with research, innovation, commercialization and access to project funding support. The college will assist applicants in sourcing its most appropriate subject matter expert for their particular challenge or act as a conduit to source the required expertise from any of the other CONII colleges.