The
University of Guelph has launched Accelerator Guelph to commercialize
innovations.
The
announcement was made during an “innovation showcase” that featrured agri-food
projects and was attended by university, industry and government officials,
including Member of Parliament Lloyd Longfield and Liz Sandals who recently
departed the provincial cabinet.
Accelerator
Guelph will help bolster U of G’s already-strong reputation for ingenuity and
inventiveness in agri-food, said Malcolm Campbell, vice-president for research.
“The
University of Guelph’s expertise and strength in agri-food innovation is
unmatched,” Campbell said.
“Our
researchers have bold, ambitious ideas, and their work addresses gaps and helps
solve problems while shaping the future of food and agriculture in Canada and
beyond.
They also promote industry collaboration and accelerating growth in the
thriving agri-food sector.”
One
of the innovations on display was a farm-machinery seat cushion designed by a
team led by engineering professor Michele Oliver. It reduces vibration.
Computer
science professor Rozita Dara and a team are looking at soybean traceability
using blockchain, developing processes to collect, analyze and store data on
soybeans while also understanding the legislative and stakeholder context.
Professor
Manjusri Misra is developing products for the greenhouse industry that will
reduce manual labour in growing tomatoes and other crops.
Professor
Amar Mohanty is investigating the use of low-value agricultural residues to
develop lightweight biocomposite products for the automotive industry.
This
is far from the first effort to commercialize research at the University of
Guelph.
Unlike
the University of Guelph, where professors are allowed to hold patents on their
discoveries and have launched dozens of businesses, including Blackberry, the
University of Guelph has held its patents hoping to earn income from royalties
and licences.
Waterloo's entrepreneurs have given hundreds of millions of dollars to the university.
