TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Aug. 30, 2011) - Ryerson University students and recent graduates will gain real-world experience and business skills through up to 150 internships with small- and medium-sized businesses in southern Ontario, thanks to a new Government of Canada investment. Fifteen local businesses will also benefit from the University's research expertise in various industries to help bring their ideas into the marketplace.
These two announcements were made today by Costas Menegakis, Member of Parliament for Richmond Hill, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, at Ryerson University's Digital Media Zone, a multidisciplinary space designed for young entrepreneurs to innovate, collaborate and market their products and services.
"These investments in Ryerson University will help businesses access the research capacity and resources they need to develop new ideas and bring those to market, while also helping graduates gain valuable work experience and entrepreneurial skills," said MP Menegakis. "Our government is investing in innovation to create jobs and economic growth."
"Young people are driving the innovation agenda, and it is truly exciting to be providing our incredible students and graduates with opportunities to develop their entrepreneurial skills directly with industry," said Ryerson President Sheldon Levy. "This support from the federal government is a wonderful investment in the future of our economy and signals an important development in the collaboration between government, industry and universities."
Thanks to FedDev Ontario's $2 million investment under its Graduate Enterprise Internship, Ryerson University will facilitate internship and mentoring opportunities for graduate students and recent graduates of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs with small- and medium-sized enterprises. Companies will benefit from the technical knowledge of interns, who in turn will gain business experience to complement their scientific skills. As Canada's industrial hub, southern Ontario has a high demand for STEM workers and managers. This project will help fill that demand and prepare students and graduates for the workforce.
Also being recognized today were the collaboration agreements with 15 businesses across southern Ontario thanks to FedDev Ontario's Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative, which is providing Ryerson University with up to $750,000 to partner with small- and medium-sized businesses on activities such as applied research, engineering design, technology development, product testing, and certification. The support provided will accelerate innovation and improve productivity and competitiveness in southern Ontario.
FedDev Ontario was created as part of Canada's Economic Action Plan to support businesses and communities in southern Ontario. Now in its third year of operation, the Agency has launched a number of initiatives to create a Southern Ontario Advantage and place the region in a strong position to compete in the global economy. These initiatives are designed to support businesses and other organizations through partnerships and investments in skills and training; innovation; research and development; and increased productivity. To learn more, please visit www.feddevontario.gc.ca or call 1-866-593-5505.
Backgrounder
Graduate Enterprise Internship
The Graduate Enterprise Internship will build a pool of highly skilled workers in southern Ontario by providing business and management experience to graduate students and recent graduates of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. Internship participants will benefit from private sector business leaders who will mentor and share their knowledge and entrepreneurial expertise, while companies will benefit from the technical knowledge and skills of the interns. This will prepare future and recent graduates to enter the workforce and also provide companies with additional capacity to innovate.
FedDev Ontario is providing Ryerson University with up to $2,035,000 to arrange up to 150 six-month internships and contribute towards an intern's salary of up to $15,000 for a graduate student or recent graduate of a master's or doctoral-level STEM program and up to $10,000 for a recent graduate of an undergraduate STEM program or a college program at the advanced diploma level. Small- and medium-sized businesses will contribute half of intern salary costs. More information on Ryerson's internship program is available at http://www.ryerson.ca/ors/funding/internal/iSTEM_bootcamp.pdf.
Applications for Graduate Enterprise Internship funding are being accepted and assessed by FedDev Ontario on an ongoing basis. For more information, please refer to the program guidelines available on the web site at www.feddevontario.gc.ca.
Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative
The Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative is designed to bridge the gap between research and commercialization in southern Ontario by encouraging post-secondary academic institutions to collaborate with small- and medium-sized business. FedDev Ontario is providing Ryerson University with up to $750,000 to partner with the following small- and medium-sized enterprises on the following projects.
Alcohol Countermeasure Systems Corp. (ACS Corp.) (Toronto)
ACS Corp. is a world leading supplier of alcohol interlocks. The alcohol interlock is a breath alcohol sensing instrument installed in the car that prevents a vehicle from starting if the driver's breath alcohol concentration is over a pre-determined level. ACS Corp. has earned TS 16949, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications to ensure the highest quality of products and services while balancing the corporation's respect for the environment. Interlock products of ACS Corp. have been serving North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. In 2007, the company became the only Tier 1 Automotive
Supplier to produce Volvo Car Corporation's new Alcoguard - the world's first alcohol interlock fully integrated to a new car. Ryerson's expertise in the area of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) will enable ACS Corp.'s development of next generation automotive alcohol interlocks, which will help minimize the number of fatalities related to drunk driving. More information is available at www.acs-corp.com/
C2C Link Corporation (Hamilton)
C2C Link Corporation designs and manufactures, standard and customized, high quality nonlinear optical chips using their proprietary crystal poling technology. The chips are incorporated in a wide range of applications including laser displays, bio-medical instrumentation, sensing and telecommunications. The collaboration with Ryerson will capitalize on the fibre device fabrication facility at the university and make use of PPLN fabrication expertise at the company to develop a unique green laser source to meet the growing demands in the full colour, large screen laser projection/display market. More information is available at http://c2clink.com/
Delvinia Holdings Inc. (Toronto)
Delvinia Holdings Inc. is a digital strategy and customer experience design firm, assisting its clients to respond to the opportunities today's technology brings to customer relationships. To bring a unique perspective to these challenges – that of the customer, Delvinia Holdings Inc. created AskingCanadians to gain insight from 160,000 people across the country. To create enduring, strategic programs and platforms that engage consumers and get results, its approach connects the customer with the brand and the agency throughout the process. The firm believes that by being involved, relevant and easy to use, digital platforms can create deeper connections between companies and consumers. The collaboration with Ryerson will allow Delvinia to better understand the changing landscape of market research due to the impact of new communication technologies, especially that of social networking. This in turn will allow Delvinia to identify opportunities in expanding AskingCanadians' online panel into a sustainable and engaging research community. More information can be found at http://www.delvinia.com/
Kensington Communications (Toronto)
Kensington Communications creates and produces exceptional, award-winning television and interactive media. From high-profile television events to moving personal stories, from ground-breaking science to performing arts and innovative online experiences, Kensington's diverse productions share a commitment to imagination, intelligence and passion. The collaborative work with Ryerson presents an opportunity for Kensington to bring storytelling to physical spaces both in- and outdoors. To move more aggressively in this direction, Kensington is creating a reusable platform of mobile client and backend server technology, which can be deployed in a number of environments. The outcome of this pilot project will directly contribute to Kensington's ability to secure the investments it needs for a commercial launch. More information can be found at http://kensingtontv.com
Lumentra Inc. (Toronto)
Lumentra Inc. is a new technology firm with a mission to develop LED down-conversion nanomaterials, provide product testing services and consultancy to the Solid State Lighting (SSL) industry. The company leverages its strong connections with Canadian and international researchers to stay on top of the rapid developments in SSL. Customers have access to a testing facility that is currently under the ISO 17025 accreditation process. They benefit from Lumentra Inc.'s 30 years of experience in academic research and industrial product development in SSL. The collaboration with Ryerson will allow the development of a technical quality system for Lumentra Inc. to enable it to be one of the first companies in Ontario to obtain NVLAP accreditation to perform test and measurement services for SSL industries. This will remove the need for LED luminaire manufacturers in Ontario to ship their products to the United States to obtain Energy Star ratings. More information can be found at http://lumentra.com/
Luminautics Inc. (Toronto)
Luminautics Inc. offers the ultimate in reliable LED display technology. Founded by University of Toronto nanotechnologists and engineers, Luminautics Inc. is dedicated to delivering value to its customers through advanced technology, user experience, and display industry know-how. The collaboration with Ryerson will allow the company to use the university's Ubiquitous Computing Group's expertise in "Context Aware Computing" to create an advanced set of web-based display and management tools to complement its existing hardware. This will enable signage manufacturers worldwide to easily order, construct and manage LED displays for their clients with no specialized skills. More information can be found at http://luminautics.com/index.php
Messier-Bugatti-Dowty (Ajax)
Messier-Bugatti-Dowty is involved in the design and development of fully integrated landing gear systems. The company also focuses on ancillary systems such as steering control, landing gear control and indication, emergency control, brake control, wheels, brakes, tires, door mechanisms and electrical harnesses. It has test facilities for development and certification of landing gear systems, and acts as the final assembly area for landing gear for many aircraft. The collaboration with Ryerson will allow the design and development of a lightweight, low power miniature data logger for usage monitoring of Messier-Dowty Inc. (a Canadian subsidiary of Messier-Bugatti-Dowty) designed aircraft landing gears. This unique system will enhance the position of Messier-Bugatti-Dowty as an innovator in the aircraft landing gear industry, and will position Ontario, in particular, as a leader worldwide. More information can be found at www.safranmbd.com
Met-Scan Canada Ltd. (Toronto)
Met-Scan Canada Ltd. specializes in turn-key telecommunication and media solutions (including procurement, design, deployment and support) and has several decades of experience building communications networks in Canada. Met-Scan has deployed security solutions for various public sector customers including the Toronto Police Service and the RCMP. The collaboration with Ryerson will permit Met-Scan to build and deploy applications to enhance the archival, retrieval and provision of videos in security-monitored settings such as airports, train stations, including on mobile computing platforms. These applications will enhance public safety. Met-Scan will be positioned more competitively in the marketplace at home and abroad by deploying the intellectual property generated through this collaboration with Ryerson with its existing security solutions. More information can be found at http://www.met-scan.com/
Mount Knowledge (Toronto)
Mount Knowledge is an educational software development, sales and training company offering innovative and proprietary learning software products and teaching services. The company has developed a suite of market specific "real-time self learning" software applications for both corporate and direct consumer markets worldwide. Mount Knowledge products and services are changing the way consumers of all ages are learning and retaining subjects starting at childhood and continuing for the rest of their personal and corporate learning lives. The company's software learning tools and teaching methodologies are currently being offered in China to the more than 300 million students, from grade school to university, seeking to learn English, including the vast number of people in the Chinese workplace increasing their English fluency to achieve greater income earning potential. The collaboration with Ryerson University will allow Mount Knowledge Inc. to create learning content that is more adaptable and multi-sensory, ensuring a level playing field for all students, including those with disabilities. More information can be found at http://www.mkhd.net/
NCK Engineering Ltd. (Toronto)
NCK Engineering Ltd. is a consulting structural engineering firm with offices in Toronto and Montreal. The firm's primary focus has been in the building industry and it has been involved in the design of many tall structures around the world, including the CN Tower in Toronto. Currently, the company is engaged in the design of many tall structures such as the 52-storey Duja Tower in Dubai, design review of five 50 to 80 storey tall Etihad Towers complex in Abu Dhabi and the 350-meter Torrena Tower in Mexico. The company's aim is to expand its expertise and reputation in the design of tall structures and, in particular, in the area of wind towers. The collaboration with Ryerson will allow NCK Engineering Ltd. to implement innovative techniques in the design of wind tower structures and allow the company to attract more projects worldwide. These techniques could be used for new as well as existing structures, which could be economically more feasible as compared to other methods of controlling vibrations and deformations in structures. More information can be found at http://www.nck.ca/
Solana Networks (Nepean)
Solana Networks provides industry-leading network monitoring products and technologies, such as Route Analytics, that improve the performance of mission-critical IP networks, reduce network downtime and enable new services. Solana Networks' collaboration with Ryerson aims to develop routing diagnostic methods that can be integrated into new modules and made commercially available to the existing customer base, as well as to its OEM partners. More information can be found at http://solananetworks.com/
Thermodyne Engineering Ltd. (Toronto)
Thermodyne Engineering Ltd. is a consulting engineering and qualification/certification testing company. Its main objective is to assist clients in developing higher technology, having their products qualified and certified to different standards and assisting in their design, research and development of products and systems. Thermodyne Engineering Ltd. has diverse experience and provides services in engineering sectors such as aerospace, chemical and nuclear. Thermodyne Engineering Ltd. has also supported the growth of a variety of small businesses, particularly with respect to technological development and new product certification. The collaboration with Ryerson will allow Thermodyne Engineering Ltd. to provide recommendations to aerospace companies in the design of light weight and compact Micro Channel Heat Exchangers that provide maximum heat transfer. More information can be found at http://www.thermodyne.ca/index.html
Trade Secret Printing (Toronto)
Trade Secret Printing is one of the most up-to-date trade printing facilities in Canada. The aim of the collaboration with Ryerson is to design a system that will replace the human element in the colour approval process, allowing for anything to be printed anywhere with consistency and colour accuracy. The system will have a significant impact on the printing sector. Printers will use this system as a value added tool for their customers. Corporations can purchase the service to ensure consistency within the organization's promotional material. More information can be found at www.tsprinting.ca/
Vision Coaters Canada Ltd. (North York)
Vision Coaters Canada Ltd. is a metal finishing company serving the automotive and commercial industry. Core activities consist of electro-coating and degreasing of automotive and commercial parts. The aim of the collaboration with Ryerson is to improve electro-coating processes and minimizing production of solid wastes (sludge). The reduction in waste products will not only allow companies to reduce costs of disposal, but also minimize impact to the environment. More information can be found at http://visioncoaters.com/
waveDNA (Toronto)
waveDNA is an Ontario-based music software development company involved in the areas of music information retrieval (MIR), music analysis, and music generation. waveDNA uses its patented, proprietary algorithms through its existing software model to analyze digitized music. A long-term goal of waveDNA is to design a music search engine capable of yielding similarity metrics between songs that correspond to human judgment. The aim of the collaboration with Ryerson is to design, develop, test and introduce to the market an innovative software drum performance generator that combines current waveDNA technology with a "similarity engine" developed by Ryerson's Science of Music, Auditory Research and Technology (SMART) laboratory. More information can be found at http://www.wavedna.com/
Contact Information:
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
613-943-7599
Media Relations
FedDev Ontario
519-571-6879