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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, April 22, 2010 · 4 Colleges get funding to help small businesses grow By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Southern Ontario colleges and universities are getting up to $15 million from Ottawa to work with businesses in a research capacity to bolster the province's economy. The Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) Gary Goodyear made the announcement for the new initiative at Oakville's Sheridan College Monday. The Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative is a FedDev Ontario pilot project, which will run through 2010. Through the project, southern Ontario post-secondary institutions are able to apply for research funding for collaborative projects with small-to-medium sized businesses. The research projects will work towards moving innovative products from the research stage to production and commercialization. Up to $50,000 per project, and up to $750,000 per educational institution, will be available through the program. "Never has innovation and inno- ERIC RIEHL / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER HERE'S HOW: The Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario Gary Goodyear and Sheridan College President Jeff Zabudsky demonstrate a 3D game developed by students and faculty at Sheridan College. vative ideas been more important than they are now," Goodyear told a gathering at Sheridan. "It is absolutely essential if we are to succeed in the global economy that we exploit our innovative capacity and information." Goodyear referred to the sputtering Ontario, and global, economy. He said FedDev was created in 2009 by the federal government to promote economic growth, job creation and innovation in southern Ontario. The development agency has received $1 billion in federal funding to be granted over the next five years for projects such as the newly announced initiative. Goodyear said, "Canadians want a more robust economy, an economy that is diversified and knowledge intensive. We have an obligation as the Canadian government to listen to the people and that is exactly what we have done." The new initiative begins immediately and colleges and universities can apply for funding now. Goodyear said there are many companies in Ontario today that can benefit from partnerships with academic institutions to help them grow and to develop innovative products. "We need to look no further than Research In Motion (Waterloo-based maker of the Blackberry phones) as an example of what is possible when the private sector works together with our academic institutions. RIM was once a very small, unknown company, but today it is known throughout the world as a global leader in communication." Sheridan College made its own showing at the press conference of its achievements that combined government funding with a business partner. The school showed off a glassesfree three-dimensional game it produced while working with RIM and Toronto-based Spacial View. The game is fully 3D where players piece together puzzles depicting Ontario's tourism hotspots. The game uses Blackberry phones for controllers and Spacial View stereoscopic screens. The game was demonstrated at the Ontario House Pavilion in Vancouver during the Olympic Winter Games where Ontario promoted itself to tourists. The project was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism. For more information, visit www.feddevontario.gc.ca.