Annual Commercialization Update: 2023 - 2024
Commercialization Success
The University of Guelph has a longstanding history of Intellectual Property (IP) development and commercialization, spanning human and animal health, new materials, plant varieties and other innovation demonstrating a breadth of researcher expertise and widespread commitment to improving life. At the Research Innovation Office (RIO), we recognize that for IP development and commercialization to occur, it is crucial to build and maintain an enthusiastic culture of entrepreneurship and innovation at the institution by increasing participation and IP literacy.
During 2023/24, RIO adopted a holistic approach to IP development and commercialization by building, implementing, and executing several workshops, programs, and events targeting innovation ecosystem participants and providing multiple entry points for education and collaboration opportunity.
Students
Project SOY Plus (Sustainable Opportunities for You), a student innovation competition running since 1996, was reconfigured to boost participation while keeping innovation and problem-solving at the forefront. The program provides students with problems and needs provided by industry and program sponsors, challenging them to develop new solutions and engage with IP and product development. In 2023/24, student participation increased to 58 compared to 9 in the previous year. Participants are required to complete an IP education program and are encouraged to join the University’s student entrepreneurship centre after the competition.
Researchers
The Sustainable Agri-Food Futures workshops were designed to convene producers, U of G researchers, industry and government to identify systems-level problems in need of research that may be ripe for new ventures. The 2023/24 workshops focused on soil health and livestock management as agricultural sectors with potential for innovation. Collaborative outcomes are incentivized by the Advancing Research Impact Fund (ARIF), which provides small project grants to researchers try to address the problems identified in the workshop. 50 attendees participated in the workshops, with 4 projects receiving funding as of June 2024. Funding opportunities are a significant driver for faculty engagement in IP development and commercialization.
Industry
External partners are key to converting IP into innovation. An example of industry outreach is the Future of Cybersecurity in Agriculture event series. The series included a seminar and exhibit at the Canadian Dairy XPO, a Barn Simulation, and a networking event, meant to develop capacity within the Ontario business community to address the growing importance of cybersecurity in agriculture. At the Canadian Dairy XPO approximately 500 people engaged with the booth, the Barn Simulation (invite-only) welcomed 23 attendees, and the networking event had 77 participants with 16 companies, 4 accelerators, and 12 government affiliations and branches represented and has spurred several follow-on collaboration discussions.
University of Guelph is committed to building a culture of enthusiasm and interest around IP development and commercialization by innovating and trying new things ourselves. A multipronged approach to building culture and capacity around IP and commercialization also allows us to remain flexible so that we can adapt to the needs of the community. No one entity can commercialize anything on their own, and this approach works to bring interested parties together to broaden capacity within the ecosystem.