At Toronto's George Brown College, researchers have partnered with Pure Fun Confections to develop new chewy organic candies and jelly beans. Fuelling that research are government grants totalling $31,500.

SAIT's Dr. Alex Zahavich is helping create an improved bobsled in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

SAIT's Dr. Alex Zahavich is helping create an improved bobsled in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

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At the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary, professors and students in the School of Hospitality and Tourism are working on ways to convert cooking oil to biodiesel fuel. The end result will be sold at Calgary's first biodiesel retail gas station Green Way Fuels.

Those two small projects are just the tip of what may prove to be an R&D iceberg if Canada's seven polytechnic institutes have their way. From coast to coast, the polytechnics have begun to raise funding and focus on applied research in a major way.

Some, like the British Columbia Institute of Technology and SAIT, have been in the R&D business for a decade. Others, like Toronto's Humber Institute of Advanced Learning and Technology, have only recently formalized their efforts.

The goal is not to compete with universities but to partner with them, says Dr. Alex Zahavich, SAIT's director of research and innovation services.

"Our focus is on what I call the dead zone," he says. "Universities focus on the pure research while corporations play their role in bringing the results of that research to market.

"Where we fit in is in the creation of prototypes and testing based on that research. Right now, that work is the missing link in innovation in Canada."

Getting polytechnics involved in the research assembly line is absolutely vital to Canada's economic future, points out Sharon Maloney, executive director of Polytechnics Canada, the national organization representing the seven elite colleges that offer the most degree programs and focus on applied research.

"Advanced skills and value-added products with a global market are the future for Canada," she says. "Polytechnics are in the best position to help create both of those.

"They see it as an integrated part of the education process. We want to be a resource for the commercialization of products. The biggest gap in the chain today is in testing and the creation of prototypes."

But what may seem a no-brainer to laymen has met with resistance from the universities themselves, says Dr. James Watzke, head of applied research at Humber College.

"Universities don't welcome the competition for what they see as scarce R&D funding," he says. "But what I have told a House of Commons committee is that all we want is to be a part of the assembly line.

"We may not win a Nobel Prize but we may build the process control system on a device that does indeed win the Nobel Prize."

The federal Government seems to agree. In 2007 it earmarked $48-million for university and college research grants. George Brown College promptly applied and received the maximum: $2.3-million over a five-year term.

George Brown regularly spends between $500,000 and $1-million a year on applied research, says Dr. Robert Luke, its director of applied research and innovation. He joined the college in 2007 to create a research office and formalize the program.

"Last year, for example, we raised $1-million through grants and contributions from industry," he says. "The year before, we got $300,000 in grants and another $300,000 in kind from industry — contributions of supplies and materials."

Right now the college has 40 projects under way, with another dozen about to start. Almost all are small, depending on grants in the $10,000 to $20,000 range, but all have practical commercial results.

"We worked with Bloorview MacMillan Children's Hospital, for example, to create a device that measures a child's grip strength," he says. "In another case we worked with Motorola Canada on a prototype PDA for use in hospitals and warehousing.

"Where university research falls apart is in the creation of prototypes that allow commercialization. That is where we come in."

SAIT in Calgary sees itself as a veteran in Canadian applied research. It has had programs in place since 1999, says Dr. Zahavich.

"We originally started to take advantage of the tech bubble but when that burst we sort of stepped away," he says. "In about 2004 we got back into applied research on a significant scale."

The annual budget usually runs in the $3-million to $3.5-million range — enough to take on eight to 10 projects a year, which can last anywhere from five to 18 months.

"There are various clusters we focus on, things like clean building technology, software development, data security, radio frequency identification, sports engineering and even the culinary side."

Perhaps surprisingly, funding from industry, especially small- to medium-sized companies, is on the rise.

"Well managed companies understand the value of using down times to focus on innovation that will position them well in the market when boom times return," he says. "What I have also found is that we can leverage every dollar from industry two-to-one with various government grants."

In Toronto, Humber College is just starting to formalize its research efforts. Dr. Watzke joined the staff from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in early January and is now looking at recruiting two new staff members with part of the $500,000 starting budget.

"The first thing I have to do is find where the expertise lies in the college and in what areas," he says.

Look on polytechnic research as an integral part of the education process, he says.

"What we do is all about providing graduates with the latest in skills and techniques to use in real world applications," he says. "Involving them in research is one of the ways to best prepare them to enter the work force."

Special to The Globe and Mail

SELECTED PROJECTS

Firefox project A team from Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology's School Of Computer Studies worked with the Web browser's creator Mozilla to develop upgrades to Firefox 3.0, the latest version. Chief among them was Animated PNG, an improved format for animated GIFs.

3D Visualization Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning's Visualization Design Institute has leveraged its researchers' expertise in 3D games into creating realistic models of everything from human anatomy to light rail transit. The group has worked on more than 40 projects valued at close to $8-million.

A better rye bread At George Brown College of Applied Arts & Technology, students and faculty are working with Rudolph's Specialty Bakeries on a new cooling process for rye bread, which could increase the bakery's production. The less time between oven and shelf means bread passes the "squeeze test": It feels fresher and appeals more to consumers.

Like giving candy At Toronto's George Brown College of Applied Arts & Technology, students were given $400 to shop for candies. The findings will be used to determine the optimal shape for a new treat being introduced by an organic candy producer.

High-voltage gloves Conestoga College's machine-tool builder and integrator program worked with Marzo Glove Co. of Rockwood, Ont., to create a prototype for a more efficient process of making insulated rubber gloves for workers around high-voltage lines, using clamps and a vacuum form in the shape of a human hand.

Big boost At George Brown, students and staff created a video game in co-operation with auto parts maker Magna Corp. to encourage young children to use new booster seats.

Gluten-free goodies At the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), graduates received about $14,000 to create recipes for gluten-free baked goods, which would be produced by a pair of Calgary bakeries.

A better bobsled A $60,000 SAIT project to improve the design of skeleton bobsleds was sponsored by Bobsled Canada and Own the Podium. The prototype is expected to be ready for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

In the wind Toronto's Humber College is heading a consortium of eight polytechnics to investigate and develop prototypes for small eight-blade wind turbines that can generate between three and 48 kilowatts of electricity with a commercial venture called Wind Simplicity Inc. The 15 separate research projects will look at things like materials, manufacturing and developing a business case.