uOttawa’s Kanata North campus to expand on innovation and impact

The uOttawa Kanata North campus recently marked its fifth anniversary, and since its inception, the campus has experienced significant change—from doubling in size two years after opening, to launching the Smart Connected Vehicle Innovation Centre in 2021, opening a second campus space at Hub350 in 2022, and substantially growing its number of partnerships and collaborations over the past half decade.

Over this time, uOttawa has proven to be a reliable partner for companies looking to expand their R&D efforts and impact through research collaborations, access talent through internships, and even leverage millions of dollars in funding they might not otherwise have access to.

Despite their impressive track record thus far, those behind the Kanata North campus’s past achievements and milestones are determined not to rest on their laurels.  

That’s why they’re focused on expanding and enhancing uOttawa Kanata North’s role as an industry and community partner, both now and in the future. 

uOttawa Kanata North’s director of innovation and partnerships, Sean Geddes, says the first five years were just a prelude to what’s next for the campus. Here are some of the most impactful developments on the horizon—and why the local businesses and tech community should take note.

“We are going to continue to grow our presence in the tech park as well as partnerships across the board” Geddes says, adding that the campus aims to double its number of industry partnerships over the next five years while, of course, continuing to support its existing partners. 

uOttawa has already generated significant impact through its R&D partnerships in the tech park and has seen firsthand the amazing possibilities that can be created by bringing industry and uOttawa together. Over the past 5 years, uOttawa has partnered with well over 60 companies in Kanata North, from homegrown startups like Edge Signal, thinkRF, RoboSafety, and Celestra Health Systems, to larger firms such as Ericsson, Nokia, Ciena, BlackBerry QNX, and Wesley Clover. Over 20 partnerships have been facilitated through the Faculty of Engineering’s Smart Connected Vehicle Innovation Centre alone.  

Geddes says the uOttawa Kanata North team will be exploring unique opportunities, such as co-creating and investing in R&D labs and testing space in the tech park. “Establishing joint labs with industry further fuel transforming innovative ideas into real-world solutions while creating a dynamic environment where research and innovation thrive, and breakthroughs tested and implemented for the benefit of society." Geddes adds that these spaces also create incredible training environment for uOttawa students who will be entering the workforce after graduation.  

“After seeing the immense impact created, in just 3 years, by bringing the first university industry-driven research lab into the tech park, we are looking forward to bringing the next team and their lab to the uOttawa Kanata North campus” says Geddes.

The uOttawa Kanata North team will also be prioritizing exciting opportunities to support innovative collaborations such as named industry-partnered research chairs. Creating industry-partnered research chairs will bring together the combined reputation of the university and the industry partner to foster long term collaborations, and promotes practical, impactful research, driven by industry. These chairs will not only work to enhance the academic landscape but also facilitate knowledge transfer, ensuring that emerging technologies are effectively tested and implemented while providing great profile and reputational benefits for partners.  

Bringing together multi-stakeholder teams to secure large-scale partnership grants to support big research collaborations also continues to be top of mind for the team in Kanata North. “By working with uOttawa, public sector funding can be leveraged through key programs to, in some cases, triple or quadruple an industry-partners contributions to grow the overall R&D budget” says Geddes. “Our uOttawa teams have extensive experience and a great track record in supporting the development of these types of proposal.” 

This past year saw uOttawa’s Professional Development Institute (PDI) partner with Nokia to sharpen their engineers’ skills in identifying and addressing business-driven customer needs. uOttawa will continue its commitment to enhancing professional development program delivery in the tech park, working closely with industry partners, to tailor offerings that meet specific needs, much like their work with Nokia.  

In addition to customized programs, the PDI has an extensive catalogue of “ready-to-go” courses with many aligning with industry standards in areas such as cybersecurity and cybersafety, misinformation and risk management. All programs delivered by PDI ensure that employees are equipped with the latest skills and knowledge to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

uOttawa will also continue to engage with companies in the tech park to work to align student programs with industry demands. By adjusting curricula to reflect the skills sought by employers, uOttawa aim to prepare students for successful and impactful careers in the tech sector. This collaborative approach ensures that graduates not only possess the theoretical knowledge but also the practical competencies required to excel in the workforce, making them valuable assets to their future employers. 

Another priority of the uOttawa North team is to maintain the momentum on the increasing community engagement between uOttawa and the tech community.  

Geddes shares, “we currently have 7 out of 10 uOttawa faculties represented in various activities out in the tech park”.  

“We're continuing to play an active role in terms of bringing more uOttawa programming, events, and activities to build on that community role,” he explains. “There is immense value in bringing the uOttawa and Kanata North communities together, so this will also include bringing more of Kanata North to all uOttawa campuses as well”.

One of the most pressing future initiatives for uOttawa Kanata North is its upcoming move from its current location at 535 Legget Dr.

Geddes says the move is “an excellent opportunity to re-evaluate how our current campus has worked for us, and explore how we can reimagine and redesign it to better serve both the uOttawa and Kanata North communities.” Geddes added, “this just might include establishing additional lab space with another uOttawa faculty in the tech park”.  

While a few interesting real estate options are being considered, Geddes says the campus is expected to change addresses by spring 2025.

So how can local technology companies—from early-stage startups to established firms—work with uOttawa Kanata North to gain better access to talent and accelerate their product roadmaps?

“It goes both ways,” Geddes says, explaining that the university reaches out to companies where they see alignment for collaborations, while also fielding inquiries from businesses interested in partnering.

“It all starts with a conversation, whether it’s initiated from our side or theirs,” he says. “Our approach is to find out where we can help and where there are mutually beneficial opportunities to collaborate, and then plug in to support these companies.”

Partnerships between the university and the local tech community benefit everyone: they’re good for companies, the local economy, and—of course—students.  

“We have grad students and postdocs being exposed to real-world industry challenges,” Geddes explains. “We’re bringing the best of industry, academia, and research together to solve real-world problems.” And not to forget, these partnerships generate home-grown intellectual property, developed right here in the National Capital Region.

Interested in collaborating with uOttawa? Connect with the uOttawa Kanata North team to explore how you can partner and innovate with them.