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a man with a hard hat working in a factory

Working with Industry

In Canada, more than in other G7 nations, businesses turn to universities for research support, and there are many government programs – both federal and provincial – that provide leverage to these projects. This leveraged funding constitutes a significant portion of º£½ÇÉçÇø’s annual research budget.

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Multinationals and start-ups alike are seeking new sources of innovation and partnering with them can be rewarding for both parties. For university researchers, industry partnerships can provide resources and insight into ongoing research and potential areas for growth in research.

Industry Partnerships

The Industry Partnerships team has years of experience working with businesses. Collaborations can range from indirect support of ongoing research activities to contracting very specific research projects and specialized services. The team can also facilitate access to expertise from highly qualified personnel, and to student interns as well. Other benefits of sponsoring research at º£½ÇÉçÇø include:

  • Priority access to technologies that result from research
  • Productive relationships with faculty members with relevant expertise
  • Federal R&D tax credits
  • State-of–the-art research facilities

When working with industry, it is important to keep in mind the contrast between its needs and priorities and those of an academic setting. The table below illustrates some of these critical differences.

- INDUSTRY UNIVERSITY
Objective Solving an operational problem, reducing costs, competition, return on investment New research program, real-world problems, student theses, publications, funding

Timeline

Months or weeks

Years

Deliverables

Products (software, data, designs, etc.), quarterly reports, progress meetings

Peer-review publications, theses, conference papers

Funding

Price, return on investment, R&D tax credits

Student salaries, miscellaneous costs, indirects

Payments

Upon receipt of deliverables

Up front and annual

Publications

None or subject to review and approval

As soon as possible

Confidentiality Period

Perpetual or more typically 3-5 years or more

None or more typically 2-3 years maximum

Intellectual Property

Belongs to the industry

Belongs to the university

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