This week, RRC Polytech and its post-secondary partners across Canada proudly launched Labs4, an applied research commercialization engine aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and accelerating the country's innovation economy.
Labs4 brings together 38 Canadian polytechnics, colleges and universities to collaborate with businesses, entrepreneurs and communities on transforming research into real-world solutions.
Initially known as the College-University Lab to Market Network for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization, Labs4 will develop and deliver hands-on entrepreneurship training, product development support and mentorship through eight regional hubs and three Indigenous entrepreneurship hubs that stretch from coast to coast.
"Labs4 is built for impact. This is innovation with purpose, delivered across every region and rooted in community," says Dr. Jolen Galaugher, Executive Director of Research Partnerships & Innovation at RRC Polytech and chair of the Labs4 executive committee.
"We operate at the intersection of academia and industry to translate applied research into practical solutions. By teaching researchers and businesses how to work with each other, building stronger relationships with Indigenous communities and scaling innovation with intentional speed and purpose, we'll equip entrepreneurs to quickly move from insight to action to benefit all Canadians."
Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Mitacs and its institutional partners, Labs4 is a $55-million initiative created to close the gap between research and commercialization across all Canadian sectors, while reducing barriers faced by equity-seeking groups and strengthening Indigenous and regional innovation.
Leveraging state-of-the-art facilities and subject-matter expertise available at network institutions will expedite entrepreneurs' and creators' ability to take new products and processes to market, ensuring both economic and social impacts are felt sooner.
Three signature pillars differentiate Labs4:
- Indigenous Entrepreneurship Hubs: Incubators in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario provide culturally grounded programming, mentorship and wraparound supports tailored to First Nations, Métis and Inuit researcher-entrepreneurs. Programming is led by Indigenous institutions and rooted in self-determined goals, ceremony and community priorities.
- Technology Readiness Level-Up (TRL) program: A four-month placement in polytechnic- or college-based applied research facilities, where researcher-entrepreneurs receive $10,000 stipends to develop, test and validate prototypes with expert mentorship. (The TRL program is already underway; applications are now open for the upcoming fall cohort.)
- Market to Lab (MtL) program: A two-month simulation in which researcher-entrepreneurs lead student teams to solve real-world commercialization barriers. With mentorship from business and innovation experts, participants gain leadership experience and build go-to-market strategies.
Labs4 is poised to drive measurable national impact and support hundreds of researcher-entrepreneurs to explore the launch of new research-based ventures. The initiative supports not only new ventures and commercial products but also economic development, job creation and inclusive growth across all sectors and regions.
"We are dedicated to creating pathways for innovation and amplifying the impact of Canadian research on the global stage," says Nasil Nam, National Director of Labs4.
"Whether it's a prototype in a lab or a venture ready to launch, we meet researcher-entrepreneurs where they are and help them move forward with confidence. Our work is practical, fast-paced and focused on impact."
