Grant: College and Community Innovation Program

Improving the manufacturing sector's productivity and innovation performance is of benefit not only to individual manufacturers, but also to regional and national economic development. Manufacturing is widely acknowledged as the economic backbone of the Waterloo Region. It is the most important employment sector, employing 18 per cent of the region's workforce, and includes 670 Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). While low productivity constrains manufacturing enterprises of all sizes, it is of immediate and pressing concern to SMEs. These firms do not typically have in-house research expertise or access to leading-edge design and testing facilities required to innovate. Conestoga College's Centre for Smart Manufacturing (CSM) addresses the productivity gap and accelerates innovation for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with an industry-focused applied research program. It also prioritizes the training of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP). Combining Conestoga's recognized strengths in Information and Computer Technology (ICT) and Engineering, the research will focus on two themes: (i) High-Performance Manufacturing (HPM), and (ii) ICT-Enabled Manufacturing. Both research themes address manufacturing SMEs' crucial need for processes that generate resource efficiencies while producing more innovative, higher value-added goods. Conestoga's leadership in this evolving sector will provide the region with a sustainable and fully-integrated, multidisciplinary resource for manufacturing innovation. At the same time, it will supply industry with HQP who will contribute to this significant sector's continuing evolution in Smart Manufacturing.