Grant: Lab to Market grants

Canada’s publicly funded research is globally competitive, yet business innovation lags. With a Business Expenditure on Research and Development of less than 1% of GDP, Canada falls short of OECD productivity benchmarks. The College-University Lab to Market Network for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization is a groundbreaking collaboration between a national network of 38 college and university partners, alongside regional ecosystem collaborators. This network will harness the know-how, capabilities, and industry-facing applied research facilities and staff of Canada’s colleges and polytechnics to enhance the translation of academic research into market-ready innovations. Over the next five years, our network’s 22 participating colleges, 24 Technology Access Centers, 16 universities, 610 business mentors, more than 2,100 applied research and industry specialists, and vast networks of industry and innovation ecosystem partners will be mobilized to provide researcher-entrepreneurs with the skills to commercialize their research. Through transformative, hands-on entrepreneurship training and mentorship programs delivered in the near-to-market environments of Canada’s colleges and polytechnics, we will train 8,680 participants, allocate more than $15M in student stipends, and direct 20% of total project funding to Indigenous students and Indigenous-owned businesses. These initiatives aim to support 700 new company starts and the creation of 175 new commercialized products or services.