Georgian College has officially opened a new one-stop centre to connect local businesses with faculty and students who can conduct applied research to bring ideas to life in the commercial marketplace.

Bob Emptage, Dean of Engineering Technology, officially opened the Centre for Applied Research and Innovation (CARI) at the Barrie Campus on June 17.

CARI is Georgian’s point of contact linking businesses with faculty and students to conduct applied research in areas in which Georgian has recognized expertise.

“Georgian continually seeks ways to help Ontario businesses strengthen and improve their capabilities and profitability while providing our students unique and relevant learning experiences,” Emptage said.

“The focus of the Centre for Applied Research and Innovation is on innovation through development and testing of products and services that directly address real-world challenges and scientific uncertainties faced by business and industry.”

HydroFlow Canada Inc. is one of CARI’s satisfied customers. Georgian partnered with HydroFlow to design and develop a water testing system as part of testing and analysis of the company’s patented technology.

This technology provides an environmentally friendly alternative to using chemicals to remove lime scale buildup in water systems. The process suspends the minerals, eliminating both scale buildup and the breakdown of existing scale.

The data obtained from the project will be used to demonstrate and quantify the effectiveness of current water treatment technologies. The partners hope to have the technology adopted as an industry standard for measuring and quantifying the effectiveness of emerging water treatment technologies.

HydroFlow Canada technical advisor Shaun Jackson said the company is pleased with the results of its partnership with Georgian and CARI.

“Our partnership with Georgian College and its students was a new concept to us. We had no idea such resources were available to us in our community,” said Jackson.

“The manufacturing engineering students conducting this project have demonstrated to us that they have the ability to apply what they have learned in their academic studies. We see this project as the first of many applied research projects with Georgian. In fact, we are currently developing our next project with them,” Jackson added.

Other industry partners include Barrie-based business SAE, Napoleon Gourmet Grills, PowerStream and Albarrie, as well as Franke Kindred of Midland and Blackbird Boats of Baysville.

Georgian students participate in industry sponsored and supported applied research projects that scientifically contribute to commercialization. They also help local businesses and community organizations become more innovative and successful by assisting in problem-solving and developing new products and processes.

Sudents participate in research teams consisting of faculty, other students and business owners, and work on real-world projects such as the HydroFlow studies.

Applied research projects provide students with the opportunity to bring the skills and knowledge they have learned in the classroom to a new level. This experience broadens employment opportunities for student research assistants and better prepares them for their future careers.

In April, Georgian became a member of Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation, a provincial network of 20 Ontario colleges.

The federal Ministry of Research and Innovation has allocated $30 million over the next three years to assist Ontario colleges, including Georgian, to match faculty and students with business, to assist in growth and profitability for entrepreneurs while providing students with the opportunities and experiences to become more highly qualified.