ABOUT THE INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COLLABORATION PROGRAM (IACP)

Ontario is home to some of the country's most talented technology-based researchers, entrepreneurs and business leaders. To prosper in today's global economy, such innovation talent needs to be supported and championed to generate results.

Through the Industry-Academic Collaboration Program (IACP) Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) now provides a suite of new programs and services that are responsive, flexible and adaptive to change, and better serve researchers, entrepreneurs and high-potential companies who have strong potential for commercial success.

IACP is one of two programs provided by the Ontario Network of Excellence (ONE) - Ontario's new revitalized, client-focused, province-wide innovation network. The second is the Business Acceleration Program (BAP) administered by MaRS that focuses on entrepreneurs and start-up companies.

Administered by Ontario Centres of Excellence, IACP is designed to leverage the full capacity of Ontario's research institutions in order to help technology-based companies create jobs and prosperity by commercializing Ontario-based research discoveries.

Through IACP, OCE is committed to:

• Building a world-class knowledge and technology transfer network for Ontario's public research institutions
• Extracting more value from all provincial investments in research and innovation through effective technology transfer networks
• Leveraging the full capacity of public research institutions to support industry-driven commercialization activities

IACP programs are divided into three main components:

• Collaborative Commercialization programs that support industry-academic collaborations
• Talent Programs that support the development of entrepreneurial and business skills
• Technology Transfer Partnerships that support technology and knowledge transfer and proof-of-principle technology demonstrations

COLLABORATIVE COMMERCIALIZATION

• Technical Problem Solving: Supports select short-term projects and collaboration between industry and academia. Goals are to build partnerships that yield commercial results and give researchers hands-on problem-solving experience.
• College Applied Research and Development: This program supports certain collaborative projects between industry and colleges. It builds on the unique technical capabilities of Ontario colleges and their connections with local business.
• Collaborative Research: Designed for projects with special technical research challenges, demonstrated market pull, and high potential for commercialization, this program leverages the recognized capabilities of Ontario academic research teams.
• Market Readiness: This service aids with the initial steps of moving a promising technology from the laboratory to a new spin-off company or licensing opportunity.

TALENT PROGRAMS

• Connections: This service partners students in science, engineering, and other technical programs with technology-based companies. In helping students garner relevant experience working on industry-designed projects, businesses advance commercial outcomes and later gain experienced new employees. A win-win situation.
• Value Added Personnel: Offers entrepreneurship and business-skills training to Ontario science, technology, and engineering students. This program provides a bridge from the classroom to the workplace and entrepreneurship. Workshops centre on topics such as business development, technology transfer, and networking.
• Outreach Scholarship: Provides Ontario's best research students with access to world-class, expert mentorship and peer interactions outside the province - within Canada and internationally.
• First Job: A salary-sharing program that supports Ontario companies who hire new graduates for R&D positions.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PARTNERSHIPS

• Institutional Proof of Principle (IPoP): Enables public research institutions to advance research discoveries to market ready inventions through early-stage proof-of-principle funds.
• Knowledge Exchange: Promotes the exchange of knowledge and ideas between researchers and the wider economy. This forum helps companies to shape the direction of future research, and academia to understand marketplace challenges and opportunities.
• Technology Transfer Networks: Strengthens public research institution/industry linkages and collaboration and improves public research institution linkages to the local economy.
• College Ontario Network for Industry Innovation (CONII): Strengthens the public college/industry links and collaboration and improves college links to local economy.

IACP's connection to OCE's Centre for Commercialization of Research (CCR)

OCE's overall program is strengthened by its Centre for the Commercialization of Research (CCR), which complements Network programs including IACP and BAP to span the full innovation continuum from research outcomes to sustainable market success.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IACP

For more information about the suite of IACP programs contact OCE.