As students make their return to campus for another academic year, the University of Ottawa is also gearing up to welcome new industry partners thanks to a growing number of spaces purposefully built for collaboration at the local post-secondary university.
The university has several opportunities for industry and communities to work closely with faculty to develop the next generation of talent in Ottawa and find solutions for industry challenges through research partnerships, design spaces and professional development courses.
As business needs continue to evolve, so do the university’s partnership offerings.
The pandemic created many new logistical, operational and technical challenges for businesses which the next generation of talent are actively working to solve – sparking new partnership opportunities focusing on themes such as cybersecurity and 5G connectivity.
It’s a task the university cannot achieve without the cooperation of local industry.
Through hands-on learning opportunities for students as well as its commitment to driving innovation within the Ottawa business community, the university is looking to further strengthen the partnership between academia and industry in our city by providing exciting collaboration opportunities throughout the year ahead.
Here are a few of the partnership opportunities businesses should know about:
1. The uOttawa-IBM Cyber Range
The newest collaboration centre at uOttawa, the Cyber Range is a one-stop-shop for cybersecurity and cybersafety training for local businesses and executives. As more companies become susceptible to cyber threats, the Cyber Range can teach staff how to spot and react to any malicious cyber-event. Using state-of-the-art software and technology, the Cyber Range can simulate a cyber attack, giving users the opportunity to test their responsiveness and learn how to plan for, respond to, manage, contain and remediate a cyber incident.
The Cyber Range is part of a larger Cyber Hub at uOttawa, a cybersecurity centre designed for research, training and professional development. By bringing world-class leaders and experts together under one roof, the Hub will serve as a bridge between academia, industry and government to help arm all sectors with the tools and knowledge they need to protect their digital assets and position Canada as a leader in cyber safety.
2. Engineering design spaces
Looking for an innovative way to tackle your next business project? Through uOttawa’s Faculty of Engineering, companies can work with students to imagine, design, build and test solutions for even the most complex projects. With over half a dozen engineering design spaces available for students – several of which are equipped with mechanical equipment and sophisticated technology, such as the Brunsfield Centre or the Manufacturing Training Centre – students, faculty and staff from all disciplines can collaborate on projects and encourage new ways of thinking. This, in turn, enables experiential learning, and promotes entrepreneurship, all while developing new products for local companies.
3. Kanata North campus and Hub350
While uOttawa has a robust presence in the downtown core, the university has also expanded its reach by opening a satellite campus in the heart of Canada’s largest technology park. Being at the heart of this diverse and thriving tech ecosystem allows for industry and academia to more easily connect, collaborate and innovate – with ground-breaking research into autonomous vehicle technology and 5G taking place every day through co-op opportunities and partnerships.
Businesses in the area can directly reach the next generation of talent and ensure they are acquiring the skills needed to be successful in their field.
The University of Ottawa is also an Academic Anchor and Partner of Hub350, which offers access to industry and finance leaders. This newest location in Hub350 will further support collaboration on talent, research and innovation.
For more information about the various collaboration opportunities at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Engineering, visit uottawa.ca/faculty-engineering/partnerships. Your next business success story could be a click away!
