An autonomous version of the Mobi parking robot is an example of how industry partnerships at Humber
Polytechnic, including at the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation, advance the dual goal of providing students
with hands-on experiences while de-risking technology adoption for businesses.supplied
The Conference Board of Canada has given our country a mediocre innovation ranking, tied to slower economic growth and productivity. Humber Polytechnic, one of Canada’s most comprehensive institutions, with more than 76,000 learners across three locations, is addressing these gaps using applied research, industry partnerships and entrepreneurship programming to help companies scale, commercialize new technologies and address real-world challenges, says Ann Marie Vaughan, president and CEO, Humber Polytechnic.
“We believe higher education has a fundamental role to play in solving Canada’s productivity challenge. For Humber in particular, we decided to lean in to prepare graduates in the best way possible to grow productivity in Canada,” she explains. “We believe that productivity is the intersection of innovation, skills and collaboration.”
The polytechnic, recently ranked as number one for industry investment and as the number two research college in Canada, cultivates close ties with industry, partnering with business to design programs, co-develop curriculum and undertake valuable research. From day one, says Dr. Vaughan, students gain “meaningful learning experiences that prepare them to be job-ready upon graduation.
the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation.supplied
“Work-integrated learning is not something that happens on the side. It’s integrated right into our DNA.”
Humber’s applied research projects with industry help companies maintain their intellectual property and de-risk technology adoption while improving products and processes, says Dr. Vaughan. “One of our biggest challenges in Canada is not entrepreneurship. It’s not that we don’t have successful small businesses in Canada. It’s helping those businesses scale to higher levels, and that’s a specific role that Humber can play.”
A recent partnership involves Mississauga-based LocoMobi World, notes Dr. Vaughan, which is working with Humber to develop a fully autonomous version of its Mobi parking robot for smart-city applications. Supported by a $40,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada mobilization grant, Humber faculty and students are helping advance the technology while gaining hands-on experience in applied robotics.
Another initiative, Caring for Thunderbird’s Nest, developed with Fort William First Nation and the University of Toronto, is creating an advanced assessment tool for industrial pollution. The project addresses a health crisis involving a leukemia cluster among young children linked to industrial pollution.
“We’re using geophysical and machine learning tools to assess contaminated sites, provide culturally relevant data for community decision-making and build Indigenous-led research capacity,” says Dr. Vaughan.
Across partnerships such as these, she adds, “Humber faculty and students work directly with industry to refine technologies, improve product design and strengthen competitiveness.”
That approach extends across programs, notes Dr. Vaughan, with thousands of students annually completing industry-based capstone projects, applying their learning to real-world problems and gaining experience aligned with workplace expectations.
Humber has five centres of innovation (COIs) that embody the institution’s polytechnic approach. This includes the Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship, an incubator available to students across all disciplines that offers product development opportunities, competitions and seed funding. Humber is also home to Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Consortium, located within the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation.
“The COI network is the vehicle that connects industry to our faculties and provides a pathway for students directly to industry,” she says.
Humber’s partnership with Siemens is another illustration of its approach to both applied research and workforce development, says Dr. Vaughan. The polytechnic has Siemens smart grid technology embedded on campus, giving students hands-on experience with renewable energy systems that integrate solar power, storage and multiple energy sources to meet community demand.
Dr. Vaughan says she is excited about Humber’s expansion into graduate-level education, with the launch of two master’s degrees – one in advanced manufacturing and the second in cybersecurity.
“Expanding our programming mix,” she suggests, “is essential if Canada is to address its productivity emergency and build the high-level skills required to grow income levels, our own wealth and quality of life in this country.”
Last year alone, Humber developed 45 new programs, Dr. Vaughan notes, a scale of activity that “is a reflection of the polytechnic’s talent, agility and capacity to work alongside both industry and government as Canada navigates through an economically challenging time.”
Read more at humber.ca/ProductivityNow
Advertising feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.
link