Innovation Profile: Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation (CONII)

Colleges Deliver on Industry R&D

When it comes to R&D, more and more Ontario companies are turning to colleges for applied research expertise. CONII, the Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation, is a key reason why.

Many businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, have limited R&D budgets and pressing time-to-market deadlines. They require the unique expertise that colleges offer - targeted, applied research know-how and a hands-on approach.

Created by the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, CONII brings colleges and industry together by providing clear points of entry to college R&D offices, top researchers and sophisticated testing facilities. CONII-funded projects often involve early prototyping, proof-of-principle investigation, process improvement research, and business and market analyses.

"The member colleges of the Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation have perfected their ability to work with the needs of local companies to drive product innovation," says John Breakey, Chief Executive Officer of Unis Lumin, a communications technology solutions provider based in Oakville, Ontario. "In addition, colleges are able to provide marketing and business services which deliver big value to businesses that need extra help turning ideas into sales."

Between 2006 and 2009, CONII supported 143 R&D projects, involving 250 faculty members and 740 students. Industry partners report high levels of satisfaction with projects that deliver on their business objectives in a timely way.

"CONII is doubling the capacity of colleges to partner with industry on applied research," says CONII's Director of Operational Services, Vanessa Williamson. "Twenty Ontario colleges are CONII members and, by 2012, we will have increased the number of college R&D projects by fivefold."

Industry research projects also provide college students with up-to-the-minute training. Each year, more than 44,000 college graduates join Ontario's workforce, finding employment in diverse sectors such as business, engineering, ICT and health sciences.

"Colleges have a history of working closely with employers to provide highly skilled graduates," says Linda Franklin, President and CEO of Colleges Ontario. "Now under CONII, colleges are developing a critical mass of professors and students working to get products to market faster."

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