The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) is wrapping up 2024 on a high note with a fresh new ranking on Research Infosource Inc.'s Top 50 Research Colleges 2024. Breaking into the top five best research colleges in Canada, SAIT climbs into fourth place, from sixth in 2023.
Of the key performance indicators used to determine the rankings, SAIT's Applied Research and Innovation Services (ARIS) excelled in the industry research income category, securing the top position with $9.5 million from industry sources and a total of $17.5 million in research income for 2024, and placed first in research intensity per researcher.
"SAIT has made significant strides in research and innovation this year and to see the culmination of those efforts reflected in a fourth-place ranking among the top research colleges in Canada is a fitting accomplishment," says Dr. David Ross, President and CEO, SAIT. "Through industry-driven research and a forward-thinking approach to innovation, SAIT's ARIS continues to set new standards for developing practical solutions to real-world problems."
As part of the annual Canada's Innovation Leaders (CIL) report, the top research college list highlights institutions that are boosting Canada's global competitiveness in the knowledge economy.
Consisting of 79,000 square feet of state-of-the-art research labs and facilities, ARIS works with more than 200 companies to build approximately 100 prototypes every year. Fuelled by a dynamic team of more than 70 research experts in four core areas of research and innovation, the ARIS hub includes:
- Green Building Technologies Access Centre (GBTAC)
- Centre for Innovation and Research in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials (CIRAMM)
- Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems (CIRUS)
- Centre for Energy Research and Clean Unconventional Technology Solutions (CERCUTS)
"The ARIS Hub is a point of connection within the applied research ecosystem in Canada," says Jamie McInnis, Director, ARIS Hub. "In our state-of-the-art facilities, we're bringing experts and industry partners together to develop innovative solutions that matter."
Research and innovation at SAIT saw a number of notable achievements in 2024, including the GBTAC renewal under Canada's Technology Access Centres (TAC) for a third five-year term. GBTAC was awarded $1.75 million in funding from NSERC over five years. TAC members are recognized leaders in college applied research and assist Canadian entrepreneurs to develop new innovative products and solutions with of focus on technology.
GBTAC is the only TAC in Canada delivering holistic green building training, research and innovation services to Alberta and surrounding regions with an emphasis on housing affordability and greenhouse gas emission reduction.
The ARIS hub was also selected as a new NATO test centre through the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) network in March. SAIT joined the network to lend expertise in materials science, advanced manufacturing, robotics and automation through CIRAMM. The DIANA network connects innovators with the resources needed to develop dual-use technologies with a wide variety of security and civilian applications.
SAIT is pleased to celebrate the recognition of exemplary research and innovation initiatives undertaken by ARIS in 2024.
