The future of Manitoba’s all-electric, zero emissions public transit system is on track.

After a year of shuttling Manitoba Hydro employees from their Taylor Avenue office building to the new downtown location, the all-electric bus and its corresponding rapid battery charging station has passed the real world test of operating in Winnipeg’s winter conditions.

“We are pleased with the performance of the electric bus and charging station over the course of this harsh, especially cold, winter,” said Ray Hoemsen, Director of Applied Research and Commercialization at Red River College. “It has shown that an innovative and environmentally friendly electric transit bus can operate in climate that can be as trying as ours.”
The prototype electric bus was developed and tested through a partnership between the Manitoba government, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), New Flyer Industries, Manitoba Hydro and Red River College.
“This partnership and the resultant prototype Zero Emissions Transit Bus proves how integral college-based applied research can be for companies, industry partners, the environment and the public at large,” said Hoemsen.
The Province of Manitoba, MHI and Manitoba Hydro each contributed $1 million toward developing the prototype electric bus.
In partnership with the City of Winnipeg, four more electric buses are being produced that will be added to the Winnipeg Transit fleet and used on regular transit routes. The prototype bus will remain on loan to Winnipeg Transit until all four new electric buses have completed the testing phase.
“The return of electrically-powered public transportation to the streets of Winnipeg is an exciting development for Manitobans and Manitoba Hydro,” said Manitoba Hydro president and CEO Scott Thomson.
“During this initiative we were part of a team that developed a high capacity charging system which is the first of its size in Canada. At Manitoba Hydro, we have to ensure that our electrical distribution system will be able to economically and safely handle the impacts of more electrical vehicles. This new bus is helping us assess that impact,” Thomson continued.
Red River College’s research staff, students and instructors worked on this project through the College’s Electric Vehicle Technology & Education Centre. Specifically, they helped develop the electric charging system, assemble and monitor the electric bus battery for the original prototypes, modify and integrate the battery packs for the two new prototypes now being developed, and assisted in the demonstration phase of this project.
The charging system is activated when the bus drives up and a bar on top of the bus automatically lifts to connect to the charger. The speed and efficiency of this charging system, which can replenish the energy used during one hour of operation in under four minutes, will benefit transit schedules and rider convenience.
“Red River College has a history of innovating, promoting and performing applied research in the sustainable transportation sector,” said Stephanie Forsyth, president & CEO of Red River College. “We are a leader in applied research in this country and we are proud that we could offer our deep technical expertise to this project.”
With the realization of a greener public transportation future now in view for Winnipeg, it would appear that these electric powered wheels are only gaining momentum.
“The City of Winnipeg is proud to partner with the Province of Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro, New Flyer, and Red River College on this progressive and innovative project,” said Mayor Sam Katz.
“City Council is committed to supporting opportunities that provide economic growth in our community, and that showcase the leadership found in our City. We’re eager to share Winnipeg Transit’s expertise with our project partners during the testing phase of this project and look forward to further testing four state-of-the-art electric buses later this year.”
[nggallery id=2]

While we hope none of the competitors actually drop their gloves, we’re certain that your taste buds will take some tasty punches at this year’s Great Manitoba Food Fight (GMFF).
The 8th annual event, which Red River College (RRC) will host at Jane’s Restaurant on Saturday, May 3, will feature 10 entrepreneurial culinary competitors whose new food products will duke it out for $25,500 to help commercialize their enterprise.
RRC’s Culinary Arts students will also be getting in on the action with ten of our aspiring chefs competing for the Best New Recipe Award with signature dishes featuring the competitor’s products.

“Cooking is all about creativity and innovation and the functional food of tomorrow is the innovation of today,” said Keith Muller, Dean, RRC School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. “Companies are always looking for new products that can be commercialized and taken to market. Entrepreneurs have the business expertise but chefs have the creative ideas. Combining the two parties through the Great Manitoba Food Fight is a natural fit.”
Over its eight year history the GMFF — which is put on by the province’s Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MARFI) — has shown just how diverse and innovative Manitoba’s agriculture and epicurean section can be; past participants include a range of products from fireweed honey sourced in the north, to birch syrup from the Interlake, to prosciutto made from heritage hogs in Pilot Mound.
This year features a crop of ten budding food-based businesses from across the province whose artisanal, locally sourced products have been chosen based on their applications and business plan scores.
You’ll see and taste what Manitoba has to offer, from whole grain beer bread, to fish sausage, to ultra-creamy ice cream, while a panel of expert judges will decide who takes home gold ($13,000), silver ($8,500) and bronze ($4,000).
For the RRC School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, which is housed in the Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, working with the GMFF this year was a perfect fit, as the partnership can only amplify Manitoba’s food production scene.
“The use of local and sustainable products is the philosophy of the School,” said Muller. “It is a major focus of our business plan to support local business and fuel Manitoba’s economy.”
The GMFF runs all day starting at 9:15 a.m.; while at the reception from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., attendees (for $20) will be able to sample the products and student dishes.

Written by Ray Hoemsen, Director of Applied Research and Commercialization at Red River College.

• applied research
• intellectual property management
• community/industry engagement and partnering models
• faculty/student engagement and curriculum integration

Over the last decade, colleges and polytechnics have become an integral part of Canada’s innovation environment; with a growing number of supports for college-specific applied research at the federal and/or provincial level – as well as by the colleges themselves.
Targetted investments by the Tri-Councils through the College and Community Innovation program in college-based applied research programs have grown from ~$3M in 2004 to ~$48M in 2014. These investments are intended to increase community and/or regional level innovation by building capacity within the college sector to work with local companies, especially Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs); as well as to support applied research and collaborations “that facilitate commercialization,  technology transfer, adaptation and adoption of new technologies”. Concurrently, Tri-Council investment in university-based research partnerships have grown. For example, NSERC’s university-focussed partnerships program have grown from ~$180M in 2004 to ~$300M for 2014.
At the same time, the number of NSERC-eligible colleges has expanded from literally a handful to nearly 100 institutions from sea to sea to sea.
Community-based economic development is a key driver of applied research in the college system, which supports industry innovation, productivity, and competitiveness.
“Applied Research” is generally considered to be the application of knowledge, focussed on the resolution of a problem or need (usually identified by industry or other organizations within the community) with the objective of delivering a satisfactory resolution or result. This is distinct from the “basic” or “discovery” research (and related timelines) associated with the university sector. In Colleges, the focus is more on the “how” than the “why”.
Applied research is carried out on a group basis, with students often playing a key role since applied research (especially in the polytechnic model of education) is an integral component of the applied learning experience.
Commercial rights to research results are routinely assigned to industry partners, while the College retains rights for further research and education purposes. Most colleges do not typically engage in the traditional academic “patent and license” model.
Technology “diffusion” (adoption and adaption of technology) is of greater relevance than technology “commercialization” – since college-based applied research is often responding to an industry-specific product, process or service need.
In Canadian colleges, the role of the “applied research” office encompasses those which would normally be found in the typical university research services, technology transfer and industry liaison offices. Partnership and relationship development and maintenance are integral aspects of the job for applied research office personnel.
With the ever-increasing expectation of public investments in research to create impact, not just benefit; the colleges and universities have a complementary and, more often, a collaborative role to play supporting local and regional economic development.
Stay tuned for future articles.

Turns out that our robot Baxter, when he isn’t being used for modern manufacturing production at our Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TAC), makes a pretty good Easter egg hunter.
As shown in this video by our Robotics and Automation team, Baxter’s dexterity is second to none when it comes to handling and placing eggs with precision using machine vision and ROS Industrial.
Happy Easter!

Red River College has launched a new website in support of its Technology Access Centre (TAC) initiative, serving aerospace and manufacturing organizations at home and abroad.
Funded in part by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC’s) Community and College Innovation Program, the TAC supports both large and small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing enhanced access to RRC’s technological assets, subject matter expertise, and specialized facilities and equipment. Organizations benefit by gaining access to technology and expertise that was previously unavailable directly to industry.
The new website provides an industry portal through which aerospace and manufacturing organizations can view RRC’s resources, including: information on full-time student programming (from which they can draw their future workforce), information on hiring co-op students and interns, information on facilities and equipment available to assist them in projects, and information on how the College can support industry through applied research, technical services and training activities.
The site also highlights success stories and student projects, along with an events calendar listing upcoming seminars and events, and an area for posted tips and tricks helpful for practitioners in the workplace.
“This new website continues to promote the valued partnership we have with companies like StandardAero and our industrial campus, the Centre for Aerospace Technology and Training (CATT),” says Don MacDonald, Dean of RRC’s School of Transportation, Aviation and Manufacturing. “This new resource will ultimately mean more opportunities for industry, and for our students studying in these areas.”
Visit the new website to learn more about the Technology Access Centre.

Connecting the dots…Imagine an event where academic researchers and firms seeking research assistance can develop research partnerships and learn about and initiate applications for federal funding at the same time…
Imagine no more! Industry-Researcher Matchmaking and Funding Application Day aims to do just that with the support of knowledgeable administrators with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

REGISTER HERE

For Researchers: Industry representatives will be on hand and making presentations on successful researcher collaborations. You will be able to make immediate use of your newly enhanced pitch skills in networking opportunities with prospective partners.
For Industry: You will have the chance to share your R&D needs with some of Manitoba’s best researchers and to initiate federally-funded academic research partnerships on the spot.
Those who attend this event will also be presented with case studies from private sector firms who have successfully engaged with academic researchers on research projects, as well as learn of other organizations and programs that can provide assistance.

Funding opportunities abound!

NSERC project/funding administrators will be on hand to help consult prospective industry-research partners as to the range of funding opportunities available to support their research. These opportunities include Engage Grants, Applied Research and Development Grants, Idea to Innovate Grants and more.
Engage Grants: Up to $25,000 to support six months of research costs of academic researcher-Canadian company projects. No cash contribution required from the company, but the company must collaborate on the project and be able to exploit the research results. This grant applies to new business/research relationships only. More info can be found here.
Applied Research and Development Grants: Three different levels of grants, from up to $25,000 for up to six months, and between $25,000 and $75,000 or between $75,000 and $150,000 per year for up to three years. These are designed to support applied research and development projects undertaken by college research with private-sector partners. Industry partner in-kind/cash contribution varies depending on grant level. More information can be found here.
Idea to Innovation Grants: These grants support college-university collaborations working with a company partner(s) to accelerate the development and commercialization of promising technologies. The college and university can share up to $250,000 per year based on company contribution of $125,000 (NSERC will match company contributions 1:1, so if the company contribution is $50,000, both the college and university can receive up to $50,000 each). More information can be found here.
Collaborative Research & Development Grants: These grants support one to five year projects undertaken by university researchers and their private-sector partners. The industrial partner must contribute to the direct project costs in an amount equal to, or greater than, the amount requested from NSERC. More info can be found here.

 

Shawn Wilson, B.Sc. (U of Manitoba, Canada), M.A. (U of Alaska, USA), PhD. (Monash University, Australia).

• Assisting aboriginal communities through applied research
• Engaging more members of the aboriginal community in applied research opportunities at Red River College

Watch the video presentation!
Dr. Shawn Wilson is an Opaskwayak Cree from northern Manitoba, Canada. His main area of expertise is in research methodology and epistemologies, particularly in ways of knowing and conducting research used by Indigenous peoples. He has applied these methodologies and epistemologies within the contexts of Indigenous education, counselling and counsellor education, Indigenous mental health and general Indigenous studies through comparison between Indigenous peoples internationally. His current role is in building research capacity with primary health care workers. In his previous book Gwitch’in Native Elders: Not just knowledge but a way of looking at the world, he began to document some ideas about just what an Elder is and how they can be supported. Dr. Wilson’s more recent book Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods (2008) examines some of the similarities in philosophy underlying Indigenous peoples’ research methodologies in Canada and Australia. In addition to further articulating Indigenous philosophies and research paradigms, his research focuses on the inter-related concepts of identity, health and healing, culture and well-being.

To celebrate 10 years of applied research at Red River College and recognize many of the relationships that have made it all possible, we created this professionally designed publication with the support of our partners and distributed in the Winnipeg Free Press on Feb. 22, 2014.  Click below to read about some of our more engaging and important initiatives that are happening now.