Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when industry and academia come together. And it’s one of the cornerstones of the University of Waterloo’s leadership in technology.
Here are a few facts about the University of Waterloo:
- It’s been named Canada’s Most Innovative University for 30 of the past 33 years
- It is a top-15 tech school in North America
- It boasts the largest engineering program in Canada
All this to say, it’s also one of the best places for companies to find expertise and resources to tackle their toughest research challenges.
UWaterloo’s Corporate Research Partnership Management team works with industry partners to support their research and innovation goals. We spoke with Ashley Hannon, Associate Director, Corporate Research Partnerships, to learn how these partnerships work and why companies choose Waterloo.
Here’s what she told us:
Q: Can you tell us what the corporate research partnerships team at the University of Waterloo does?
Hannon: The Corporate Research Partnerships team focuses on bridging industry with our academic community to help address their most pressing R&D challenges. Typically, we meet with a company to understand their needs and interests and then align those with the expertise available at the university.
Our team provides end-to-end research support, from the initial partnership and contracting through to the project’s conclusion, helping simplify and streamline the process for industry.
Q: What are the research strengths of the University of Waterloo?
Hannon: The University of Waterloo is really known for its engineering and technology expertise. We’ve got the largest engineering school in Canada. We also have the Waterloo AI Institute, the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute, the Institute for Quantum Computing and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology. We really run the gamut when it comes to technology and are able to help solve a wide range of challenges.
Q: What types of research are companies most likely to work on with the University of Waterloo researchers?
Hannon: We help industry partners with everything from tackling tomorrow’s most pressing problems where the answers don’t yet exist to addressing more immediate needs like optimization challenges – and everything in between. We work with small and medium-sized enterprises and startups all the way through to multinational corporations to really meet their bespoke research needs.
Q: Are there specific areas that work better for corporate research partnerships?
Hannon: We look for opportunities that need a new solution, something that hasn’t been done before and makes a strong research question for our experts to explore. If we find that a solution might already exist, we’ll connect the company with other teams on campus like WatCo, our technology transfer office, or Velocity, our startup incubator.
Q: Can you give us a list of some of the companies that worked with researchers at the University of Waterloo?
Hannon: Sure. I can share two well-established partnerships. One is with Rogers Communications (Canada’s major communications and media company) – it’s a multi-year agreement that includes research activities, campus engagement and supporting technology in the ecosystem. Another is with BASF, one of the world’s leading chemical companies, working with Waterloo Data and Artificial Intelligence Institute (Waterloo.AI). This partnership focuses on applying AI solutions to optimize business operations.
Q: There’s a real talent dimension to corporate research partnerships, too. Can you tell us more about your role in helping companies recruit advanced talent?
Hannon: Talent is a major reason corporations come to Waterloo. Research partnerships are a great way to engage with our high-caliber graduate students. It’s usually the students who do the research work, and where most of the research funding goes. It’s a great way to train students, have them work directly with the company and even de-risk potential hires. For undergraduate roles, we connect through our co-op program, the largest in the country, which provides students across all fields to support these projects.
Q: From a financial perspective, how do these partnerships usually break down?
Hannon: When considering a partnership, budget is a key factor. At minimum, we want an industry partner to support a graduate student for a couple of years. From there, we explore leveraged funding programs to expand the project’s scope and involve more students. The project is scoped collaboratively between the industry partner and the faculty expert, considering the project’s needs, timeline, available funding and end goals.
Q: When a company works with researchers at University of Waterloo, who owns the intellectual property?
Hannon: I’ll add some context here. In the U.S., the Bayh-Dole Act means universities typically own all intellectual property created in a partnership, and federal funding programs come with “march-in rights,” giving the government access to the technology if needed.
In Canada, it’s different. At Waterloo, we follow an inventor-owned policy, so IP ownership is flexible and negotiated case by case between the researcher and the industry partner. The university supports the researcher in these negotiations, but ultimately, it’s up to the researcher and company to decide.
Q: Can you give us your best 30 second pitch for why a company would consider a research partnership?
Hannon: At Waterloo, innovation isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the foundation of what we do. We connect industry with world-class experts, cutting-edge labs and technology, top-tier talent and Waterloo’s entrepreneurial culture to turn ideas into impact. We’re here to support your needs by bringing together the brightest minds and the boldest ideas.
Our team can answer your questions.