Explore new opportunities through research and innovation
Looking to develop a new product, improve a process, or bring a business idea to life? Conestoga connects industry and community partners, students, and entrepreneurs with the expertise, resources, and support to address challenges and explore new opportunities.
Through applied research, our teams work with organizations to investigate challenges, test new approaches, and develop practical solutions. Our entrepreneurship programs support aspiring entrepreneurs in developing ideas, building businesses, and gaining the skills and experience to pursue their goals.
Applied research
Explore Conestoga’s applied research centres, labs, and innovation hubs supporting industry and community partners.
Research projects
How Canadian cooperatives and mutuals approach governance and decision-making
A solar-powered alternative to wood-fired cooking with Zacstar Ltd.
A new approach to solar panel recycling with Sunset Renewables
Announcements
Conestoga receives $361,000 in provincial funding to strengthen IP support
Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Conestoga has received $361,000 in funding from Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) to support the continued success of the college’s Centre for Commercialization and expand IP services for industry partners. This marks the fourth consecutive year Conestoga has received funding from IPON to enhance IP capacity and commercialization support for small and medium-sized enterprises, entrepreneurs, and applied research partners across the region. Read more
$800,000 investment supports new dementia caregiver education initiative at Conestoga
Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Conestoga has been awarded $800,000 over two years from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to support a project developed and led by the college’s Centre for Health Care Research & Innovation (CHCRI) to develop education and training resources for dementia caregivers. Announced January 27 during Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, the funding is part of a $4.7 million investment by PHAC through its Dementia Community Investment Fund program to support community-based projects that seek to optimize the health and well-being of people living with dementia and their caregivers. Read more
Conestoga receives $720,000 to advance health care and social innovation research
Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Conestoga has been awarded $720,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) to support two social innovation research projects over three years. The Centre for Health Care Research & Innovation will measure the impact of an evidence-based care transitions model designed to improve health outcomes for people on the waitlist for long-term care and their family caregivers. The Conestoga Social Innovation Lab will explore mental health, identity and well-being among Bangladeshi-Canadian youth in the Greater Toronto Area through collaborative, arts-based community research. Read more
2024-2025 Research & Innovation Impact Report now available
The 2024–2025 Research & Innovation Impact Report is now available, featuring a refreshed layout and design that tells a clearer, more compelling story of how Conestoga’s applied research delivers real-world impact through faculty, students, and industry partnerships.
Conestoga's SMART Centre receives $1.75 million and renewed Technology Access Centre designation
Conestoga's SMART Centre has been awarded $1.75 million over five years from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to support its renewal as a designated Technology Access Centre. This funding enables the SMART Centre to continue helping small and medium-sized enterprises overcome innovation challenges, while also expanding into the zero-emission vehicle ecosystem and agri-tech sector. Since its launch in 2020, the SMART Centre has supported 251 unique industry partners across 294 projects while hiring and training 423 paid research students. Through this funding, the centre plans to employ and train over 500 student researchers over the next five years. Read more
Conestoga awarded $120,000 from NSERC to expand on shared equity housing research
In partnership with Ourboro, a company that co-invests in homes with buyers in exchange for a share of future value, this research will build on existing projects exploring the shared equity ownership model. In this phase, the Conestoga Social Innovation Lab and Ourboro will assess the product’s impact on customers’ lives and gather feedback to refine the model for broader reach.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
