George Brown College Ranks #1 in Canadian College Research

TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2015 /CNW/ -  George Brown College has been recognized as the top research college in the country, according to Research Infosource, a leading source of R&D intelligence in Canada. According to their annual ranking of the country's colleges, George Brown generated the most research income in 2014 with $14.2 million. The college has seen a 53% increase in research dollars over 2013, when it ranked third in the Research Infosource rankings. George Brown also ranks first in industry partnerships, with an increase of nearly 58% compared to last year.

College-led research plays an important role in promoting Canadian innovation: it provides small and medium-sized businesses with the means to develop and commercialize products by drawing on the college's broad range of expertise and resources, giving students valuable real-world learning experience in the process. From prototyping and testing products to developing food innovations building apps and healthcare technologies, George Brown supports industry-driven applied research to help businesses create new products and services.                

Since establishing its office of Research and Innovation in 2007, George Brown has undertaken 600 projects with 552 industry partnerships involving 138 faculty members. By involving students in applied research, the college also promotes student expertise and job readiness, with 5,810 student research experiences to date. In this time, George Brown has attracted over $54 million in research funding, with additional matching contributions (cash and in-kind) from local industry.

"George Brown sees industry, faculty and students as equal players in the innovation-to-market cycle," says Robert Luke, Vice President of Research & Innovation at George Brown College. "We ultimately empower our partners to take part in economically and educationally meaningful collaborations that improve local innovation and community well-being for everyone."

Priority areas for research at George Brown include green building, health and health promotion, food innovation and advanced prototyping, as well as emerging areas like digital media, entrepreneurship and Building Information Modeling.

"Our partnership has been an important contributor to Clear Blue's success, as we've been able to integrate the work done throughout the research collaboration seamlessly into our technology and business," says Miriam Tuerk, CEO of Clear Blue Technologies. Clear Blue Technologies is a Toronto SME that delivers smart solar- and wind-powered solutions for applications like street lighting, security and emergency mobile power, all of which are monitored, controlled and maintained over the Internet.

George Brown collaborated with Clear Blue to develop, manufacture and test prototypes as well as a manufacturing process for later product releases. "As a result of our ongoing partnership, Clear Blue enhanced product development lifecycles, and helped build a Canadian knowledge base in green technologies and Smart Off-Grid systems," says Tuerk.

About George Brown College Research and Innovation

Located at each of George Brown College's three campuses, the office of Research and Innovation operates as the college's single point of access for applied research, connecting industry and community partners to highly qualified and skilled personnel, state-of-the-art facilities and research funding. GBC Research and Innovation engages industry, faculty, students, and the community-at-large through participation in educationally and economically meaningful research projects and partnerships. Each of its major research themes represent a priority area for applied research and training at George Brown College: Health & Health Promotion, Green Technology & Sustainability, Food Product & Recipe Development, and Business Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

About George Brown College

Toronto's George Brown College has established a reputation for equipping students with the skills, industry experience and credentials to pursue the careers of their choice. The college offers programs from its three campuses located across the downtown core, including its newest location at the Toronto waterfront, which opened in September 2012. George Brown offers 149 full-time programs and 224 continuing education certificates/ across a wide variety of professions to a student body of over 28,000 (full-time enrolment) students, including over 3,500 international students; and over 64,000 continuing education registrants. Students can earn certificates, diplomas, postgraduate certificates, apprenticeships and degrees. www.georgebrown.ca 

SOURCE George Brown College

Lisa Marchitto, Corporate Communications Manager, George Brown College, Office: 416-415-5000 ext. 3767, [email protected]