Mobilizing Business, Health and Horticultural Centres at Niagara College

随着尼亚加拉学院在发展当地劳动力和经济方面发挥作用，其研究与创新部门通过开展应用研究活动，为该地区的中小型企业做出贡献。20多年来，通过在关键经济部门的四个创新中心，包括制造业，农业企业和商业化支持，研究与创新通过应用研究和知识转移活动为企业，行业合作伙伴和社区提供了现实世界的解决方案。这些活动包括创新的解决方案，例如建立概念验证设计、生产和测试原型、评估新技术以及开发新的或改进的技术、产品或过程。动员基金计划将允许尼亚加拉学院通过支持几个业务方面来扩大和多样化其应用研究项目，同时使创建一个新的健康、保健和老龄化中心成为可能，以解决我们地区的一个关键社会需求。为了继续成长和创新，为本地区的经济发展做出贡献，并加强我们的学生应用研究产品，我们已经确定了未来几年的四个主要目标，将通过动员资金实现。在研究与创新部门下，尼亚加拉学院将：1)通过进一步发展计算机技术和人工智能（AI）能力，为沃克先进制造创新中心的行业合作伙伴提供多样化的产品。这将通过设立计算机技术研究主席职位来实现。2)提高园艺科技创新中心的能力，使其与当前和未来种植者的应用研究需求保持一致，通过重新命名和重新聚焦该中心的产品，作为更好地表明其所开展工作的一种手段，并通过增加一个中心经理的职位，为未来的运营提供更具战略性的方法。3)通过在团队中增加一名全职研究项目经理，将商业和商业化解决方案团队正式纳入一个完整的创新中心，同时增加专门从事BCS工作的研究人员数量。4)通过增加特定的人力资源和教师释放机会，建立健康、健康与老龄化创新中心，开展该领域的应用研究，旨在支持卫生保健部门和社会弱势群体。

As Niagara College fulfills its role in developing the local labour force and economy, its Research & Innovation division contributes by conducting applied research activities to benefit small- and medium-sized businesses in the region. For more than 20 years, and through four innovation centres in key economic sectors, including manufacturing, agri-business and commercialization supports, Research & Innovation has provided real-world solutions for business, industry partners and the community through applied research and knowledge transfer activities. These activities include innovative solutions, such as establishing proof-of-concept designs, producing and testing prototypes, evaluating new technologies, and developing new or improved technologies, products or processes. The Mobilize funding program will allow Niagara College to both expand and diversify its applied research project offerings by supporting several operational aspects, while enabling the creation of a new centre in health, wellness and ageing, to address a key societal need in our region. To continue growing and innovating, contributing to the economic development of our region, and enhancing our student applied research offerings, we have identified four main objectives for the years ahead, to be enabled by Mobilize funding. Under the Research & Innovation division, Niagara College will: 1) Diversify offerings for industry partners of the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre by further developing computer technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities. This will be done by establishing the Research Chair, Computer Technology position. 2) Advance the Horticultural Science & Technology Innovation Centre's ability to align with current and future growers' applied research needs by re-naming and re-focussing the offerings of the Centre as a means of better signaling the work conducted therein, and by adding a Centre Manager position for a more strategic approach to future operations. 3) Formalize the Business & Commercialization Solutions team into a full Innovation Centre by adding a full-time research program manager to the team, while increasing the number of researchers dedicated to BCS work. 4) Establish the Health, Wellness & Ageing Innovation Centre by adding specific staffing resources and faculty release opportunities to conduct applied research in this field, aimed at supporting the health-care sector and vulnerable populations in society.