Commercialization Statement
The Province of Ontario issued its Commercialization Mandate Policy Framework in early 2022. The objective of Ontario’s Commercialization Mandate Policy Framework is to harness the intellectual property generated with the institution’s resources to achieve Ontario’s goal of ensuring that made-in-Ontario innovations benefit Ontarians.
St. Clair College is committed to supporting Ontario’s Commercialization Mandate Policy Framework within the context of the role Ontario colleges play in applied research and innovation.
St. Clair College is uniquely positioned to collaborate with industry partners to advance innovation and facilitate commercialization of intellectual property in Ontario that creates economic and social benefits for our communities. In particular, applied research activities taking place at Ontario’s publicly funded colleges in partnership with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) create innovative solutions to challenges being experienced in our communities in a variety of settings. These innovations will be a key driver for sustainable economic recovery, growth, and competitiveness in Ontario and will be critically important as we collectively emerge from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to increase innovation at the community and regional level, St. Clair College will continue to rely on funding from granting agencies, primarily federal agencies, as the operating funding provided to colleges does not reflect the overhead costs of exploring, developing and overseeing applied research projects.
Ontario’s Commercialization Mandate Framework provides an opportunity to advance the role of the publicly funded college sector in research and innovation. St. Clair College looks forward to continuing to support our partners in the commercialization of intellectual property to realize the full benefits for all Ontarians.
Commercialization Plan
St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology provides higher education for approximately 14,000 full time students in a variety of disciplines, such as Engineering Technologies, Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship, Business and Information Technology, Health Sciences and Nursing, Media Art and Design, and Community Studies.
The College values partnerships with local industry, which are primarily SMEs, and community organizations, through work integrated learning opportunities, program advisory committees, and applied research projects. These projects are focused on advanced manufacturing, automobility, health and social sciences, and the low carbon economy.
Research and innovation at St. Clair are driven by partner needs and challenges, with the goals of providing solutions to those challenges, training students, increasing capacity at the College for future teaching and research, and enhancing Ontario and Canadian society. The Research and Innovation department engages with organizations to determine their challenge, conduct the research project, provide a solution, and disseminate the findings.
The department draws on the strengths of the College by engaging students from the various programs to conduct the project activities under the supervision of lead researchers. Projects typically result in prototypes, proof of concepts, and new/improved products, processes, and services. Part of the College’s community engagement is to work with ecosystem partners on building and enhancing the region’s economic development. This includes interactions with the local economic development agency, regional innovation centre, university, and municipal governments.
The introduction of IPON will provide St. Clair College with an additional resource and partner to assist companies in advancing their commercialization initiatives.