“Research is the foundation of a knowledge economy — new findings lead to new technologies, companies and jobs,” said Milloy. “Across the province, researchers and companies are improving competitiveness, launching new ground-breaking products and services and changing lives.”
Barbara Fennessy, Conestoga’s executive dean for entrepreneurship and applied research, joined Minister Milloy for the announcement along with Max Blouw, Laurier president and vice-chancellor, Jennifer Baltzer, Laurier associate professor and Canada research chair in forests and global change, and Bruce Muirhead, University of Waterloo associate vice president of external research.
In her remarks, Fennessy pointed out that applied research at colleges - particularly polytechnics such as Conestoga, has expanded significantly over the last decade, creating substantial benefits for businesses, for communities and for Ontario.
“Applied research initiatives designed to support business, industry and institutions in their efforts to innovate and to improve their products and processes result in increased productivity and prosperity for our community and for Ontario,” Fennessy said. “This new investment in research will help ensure that our businesses can remain competitive in the global marketplace.”
Over the past year alone, 70 local enterprises have turned to Conestoga for applied research solutions to meet current and emerging needs. The college’s primary areas of research include smart manufacturing - the economic backbone of our regional economy - as well as food technologies and health care innovations to better serve older adults.
For more information about applied research at Conestoga, visit www.conestogac.on.ca/research
For more information about research funding in Ontario, visit http://www.ontario.ca/business-and-economy/research-funding