Canadian researchers make discoveries with extraordinary potential. With the right tools and support, these ideas can become the next great innovations across all sectors of the economy and society.

Today, the Honourable Terry Duguid, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced $95.3 million over five years through the Lab to Market grants to support four networks of post-secondary institutions and organizations from private, public, not-for-profit, and health services sectors. These networks aim to foster the development of entrepreneurship skills and commercialization capacity across the academic community.

Through hubs across Canada, the four multidisciplinary networks will provide researchers with access to the tools, resources and expertise they need to transfer scientific, social, and service innovation to market or to community users. This support includes digital resources to enhance awareness and knowledge of commercialization processes, mentorship and business coaching, financial assistance, and opportunities for collaboration and sharing best practices.

Red River College Polytech is leading the College-University Lab to Market Network for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization, which brings together 30 colleges and universities, along with other collaborators, and spans eight regional hubs and three Indigenous hubs. This network will harness the infrastructure and expertise in industry-facing applied research found at Canada’s colleges and polytechnic institutions – which are critical for translating academic research into innovation for the market and community users.

Our government’s investment helps bridge academic institutions with industry, empowering researchers—like those here in Winnipeg at Red River Polytech—to turn their innovations into real-world solutions. When researchers move their breakthroughs from the lab to the marketplace, they fuel economic growth, create good jobs, and keep Canada competitive.

Lab to Market grants bridge the gap between research ideas and their translation into economic and social innovation. The four impressive networks will collectively offer tools and resources for researchers at all levels across the country to develop the skills they need to translate their great ideas into innovations for the benefit of Canadians. I can’t wait to see the results that will emerge from this new initiative!

Ramping up productivity through commercialization of Canadian research and IP, enhancing our global competitiveness – these are opportunities that can positively affect all aspects of life for Canadians – economic, social or environmental. I’m excited to see the Government of Canada invest significantly in this nationwide network initiative and entrust RRC Polytech to play a leadership role in its development and delivery. The college, university, community, and industry partners in this project are links in a chain of innovation and entrepreneurialism. Working together, we will bring industry into closer connection with Canadian research, which will positively impact Canadian business investment in R&D in the long term.

• The four networks are
  • Red River College Polytechnic - College-University Lab to Market Network for Entrepreneurship & Research Commercialization;
  • Dalhousie University - Lab2Market: Canada’s National Network for Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship Skills Training of Students, Researchers, and Highly Qualified Persons;
  • Simon Fraser University - National Invention to Innovation (i2I) Network;
  • University of Guelph - Sustainable Food Systems for Canada Innovation Platform.
• The four networks bring together 243 partner organizations, collaborators and co-applicants across the country, from academia, private, public, not-for-profit and health services sectors.
• The Lab to Market grants initiative stems from the Government of Canada’s commitment in the 2022 Federal Budget to launch a new national program to help students and researchers take their work to market.
• The Lab to Market grants initiative is a collaboration among the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), on behalf of the Government of Canada.

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Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
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Canadian Institutes of Health Research
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