CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Conestoga receives an additional $300,000 for intellectual property support

Conestoga is receiving $300,000 from Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) for the college's Centre for Commercialization (C4C) to assist industry partners with commercialization and intellectual property (IP) support.

Since its creation in August 2023, C4C has held 40 IP strategy consultations, resulting in seven patents and 21 trademarks filed by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Waterloo Region.

"We'll be using the funding to support the continued success of the centre as we expand our services to improve commercialization outcomes for researchers, SMEs, and start-ups in Waterloo Region," said Dr. Alla Darwish, director, Commercialization and IP Mobilization.

"Specifically, the funding enables us to provide key supports, such as covering the legal costs associated with IP protection," added Darwish.

Conestoga was also awarded $300,000 from IPON in 2023 to support the creation of C4C.

"This second round of funding from IPON reaffirms the important contribution that the C4C is making to commercialization, research and economic development in Waterloo Region" said Dr. Michelle Chrétien, vice president, Research.

"We're very grateful for the funding, and we're committed to helping the C4C grow and continue to make contributions that build on IPON's objectives for the province."

IPON is a provincial agency that provides IP support and services to enable Ontario businesses and researchers to innovate and develop to advance the province's economic growth and competitiveness. The funding was announced as part of IPON's $4.6 million investment in the province's IP support capacity across post-secondary institutions.

"In today's global knowledge-based economy, Ontario's postsecondary institutions are critical, not just as centres of learning, but as incubators for innovation and commercialization," said Jill Dunlop, minister of Colleges and Universities, in a news release announcing the funding.

"Through the province's support of IPON, our government is ensuring the social and economic benefits of publicly funded research stay in our province, so that Ontarians and the Ontario economy benefit from these new discoveries and innovations."

Conestoga's Centre for Commercialization (C4C) helps entrepreneurs and SMEs unlock the full potential of their IP. C4C works with the college's industry and community partners to develop or enhance their IP strategy, provides guidance on developing effective commercialization strategies, and offers a full suite of IP services to help partners understand the intangible assets behind their services and goods. 

Visit Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship to learn more about Conestoga's researchers, facilities and research centres.