Research and Development

Durham Region offers a collaborative innovation community where research and development facilities, academic institutions and industry work together to solve some of the world's greatest challenges.

Durham College

Applied research at Durham College solves industry and social challenges through innovation and collaboration, by engaging industry, faculty, students, and the community-at-large in research projects to address the needs of a technology-driven knowledge economy.

Areas of research specialization:

Autonomous Vehicle Applied Research (AVAR)

Autonomous Vehicle Applied Research (AVAR) is an applied research initiative focused on supporting innovative companies within the emerging autonomous vehicle sector. In May 2019, Durham College (DC) celebrated its one-year anniversary of being a partner with the Ontario Centre of Excellence (OCE)’s Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN), along with Ontario Tech University and Spark Centre. Durham Region is one of the six Regional Technology Development Sites (RTDS) in Ontario and has been selected to enable Ontario-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) develop, prototype, and validate new technologies, access specialized equipment, and obtain business as well as technical advice. Durham Region’s focus revolves around the Human Machine Interface (HMI) and the user experience, showcasing how humans will be able to augment the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous vehicles (AV).

Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation (CCBI)

The Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation (CCBI) at Durham College (DC) offers access to expertise, state-of-the-art technology and micro-analytical services, allowing craft brewers to experiment with new recipes and flavour profiles, propagate and maintain yeast strains and conduct scientific analyses to ensure the analytical and microbiological integrity of the beer, supporting this growing sector of the local economy.

The AI Hub

The Durham College Hub for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions (the AI Hub) offers industry partners access to technical expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and platforms, and student talent, so that businesses can uncover insights while providing intelligent and autonomous solutions that increase a company’s productivity and growth.

The MRC Studio

The Durham College Mixed Reality Capture Studio (the MRC Studio) offers organizations access to technical expertise, a state-of-the-art motion capture stage with virtual reality tracking equipment, a green screen (compositing) space, and student talent, so that they can develop experiential applications, which integrate motion capture (mocap), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and virtual production (VP). Working together in the MRC Studio, businesses will create solutions that increase an organization’s productivity and growth.

The Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation

The Durham College (DC) Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation offers current and aspiring cybersecurity professionals, as well as public and private-sector organizations, access to applied research services and leading-edge education in cybersecurity to prepare for the ever-changing and complex threat landscape.

Ontario Tech University

With more than 80 state-of-the-art facilities, Ontario Tech University has the capability to improve processes, policies, productivity and competitiveness to make a difference.

Examples of Research Institutes and Centres at Ontario Tech University include:

ACE Climatic Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel at Ontario Tech

The ACE Climatic Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel (ACE) is the first research centre of its kind in Canada that offers a full range of product testing chambers, including one of the largest climactic wind tunnels on the planet. In this chamber they can create:

Wind speeds in excess of 240 kilometres per hour.
Temperatures ranging from -40C to +60C.
Relative humidity ranging from five to 95 per cent.

This commercial test facility is available for rent to manufacturers, start-up companies, and researchers in Canada and around the globe. ACE is operated by Ontario Tech University and located on the north campus in Oshawa.

Quick facts about ACE at Ontario Tech:

A leader in Canadian-based research and development (R&D), equal to any in the world. Investment in ACE keeps Canada at the forefront of automotive R&D.
Recognized internationally by automotive industry leaders in Detroit, Silicon Valley, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and Korea.
Focused on the future of mobility: not just cars, but also trucks, buses, autonomous ‘last-mile’ delivery vehicles, vulnerable (non-motorized) road users, and more.
Committed to demonstrating technology with a conscience. ACE applies scientific discovery to real-world products to address issues surrounding climate change and clean energy development.
Expertise in a wide variety of disciplines including aerodynamics, sensors, visualization technology, Internet of Things, and cybersecurity.
A hub of academic talent featuring leading researchers and top engineering student talent.

Clean Energy Research at Ontario Tech

Located on Ontario Tech University's north Oshawa campus, the Clean Energy Research Laboratory (CERL) is a world-class facility where researchers are working on the world's first lab-scale demonstration of a copper-chlorine cycle for thermochemical water splitting and nuclear hydrogen production. Using nuclear, solar or other heat sources (such as waste heat from industrial plant emissions), the Cu-Cl cycle promises to achieve higher efficiencies, lower environmental impact and lower costs of hydrogen production than any other existing technology.

Office of Research Services at Ontario Tech

Ontario Tech University's Office of Research Services (ORS) connects innovative research projects at the university with business and industry professionals. The ORS also connects individuals with research programs and negotiates agreements and licenses on technologies ready for the market.

ORS's activities include:

Retrieving funding for technology development.
Creating market strategies.
Negotiating agreements.
Protecting intellectual property.
Policy development.

Ontario Tech University has been awarded nine Canada Research Chairs and six Industrial Research Chairs for their advanced research in science and engineering.

Explore Ontario Tech's full list of facilities.

Trent University Durham GTA

Distinguished scholars at Trent University Durham are noted as top researchers in their fields of study – everything from archeological research in Belize and the influence of Canadian literary figures to the analysis and relevance of dreams and expertise on gambling. Research at Trent University Durham is grounded in the University’s core values of interdisciplinary study and collaboration.

Explore the areas of research at Trent University Durham GTA.

Lakeridge Health Education and Research Network (LHEARN) Centre

The LHEARN Centre is a hub for cutting edge training, education and research. Every year, LHEARN welcomes more than 1,600 students across a broad range of health disciplines as they pursue their studies in state-of-the-art facilities under the guidance of expert instructors. Lakeridge Health has partnered with more than 80 post-secondary institutions to train the next generation of health care providers for Durham Region's growing community.