Research Infosource Inc., Canada’s leading research, consulting and publishing firm, has ranked Saskatchewan Polytechnic first in its latest top 50 research colleges for the number of completed projects — 350 finished — in 2020-21.
Sask. Polytech also ranked second for the number of research partnerships, with 208 collaborations.
Furthermore, the Saskatchewan-based college placed second for industry research income as a percentage of total research income and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) research income as a percentage of total research income.
“These rankings are significant because it demonstrates that Sask. Polytech applied research projects are successful at obtaining financial support from industry and government to turn ideas into practical solutions,” the college said. “
Meanwhile, Sask. Polytech ranked 17th overall in Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges list for 2022, down from 12th place in 2021.
These results are impressive institutional milestones for the school’s applied research team, considering the team worked hard during the past year to increase the number of applied research projects completed to 350 from 245, said Dr. Susan Blum, applied research and innovation associate vice-president.
More projects lead to more successful partnerships with industry and communities, while applied research is important because it helps identify and solve real-world problems and leads to the creation of innovative new products and services, she added. This creates new and exciting opportunities for students and faculty.
Dr. Larry Rosia, Sask. Polytech’s president and CEO, congratulated the school’s office of applied research and innovation for its continued success.
“Our performance being recognized on the Top 50 Research Colleges 2022 rankings provides direct evidence that we are growing our applied research capacity, which supports industry and communities and drives economic growth in Saskatchewan and beyond,” he said.
“Sask. Polytech will continue to expand our research activities and collaborations that further enhance the exceptional value we deliver to our partners.”
Applied research is an established area of strength for the educational institution as employers continue to seek out Sask. Polytech as a provider of real-world solutions to market challenges, the school said. It will continue to assist companies in developing products, enhancing technologies and commercializing the innovations needed for the province to be a global economic leader.
Industry partners retain the intellectual property for applied research projects that they develop with Saskatchewan Polytechnic, creating more incentive for future creative engagement and ongoing collaboration, the institution continued.
The polytechnic worked on several notable projects during 2020-21.
For example, Sask. Polytech’s digital integration centre of excellence created a prototype that uses a system similar to GPS technology to identify the positions of people and equipment in underground mines within 30 centimetres of their actual location. This technology enables companies to operate more efficiently by improving mine safety, process optimization and automation.
Furthermore, the institution launched the Farmer and Rancher Mental Health initiative. The initiative — a patient-oriented research project — is designed to study important features of a farm culture-friendly mental health support system for farmers and ranchers.
This project continues to receive funding and continues to support the agriculture community.
Meanwhile, Sask. Polytech also worked on a project to better understand and protect Lake Sturgeon fish. An applied research team examined spawning cycles and generated demographic data on Lake Sturgeon in the North Saskatchewan River without using invasive sampling procedures. This project collected data to influence fish species management and how to better approach habitat conservation.
For more information, visit saskpolytech.ca/research.
