Government funds boost OCAD University commitment to research and innovation

VP of Manufacturing, Development and Operations of IBM Canada Patrick Horgan, MP Adam Vaughan, OCAD U Board Chair Dr. John Sempl
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Above, Left to Right: VP of Manufacturing, Development and Operations of IBM Canada Patrick Horgan, MP Adam Vaughan, OCAD U Board Chair Dr. John Semple, OCAD U President Sara Diamond, MPP Han Dong, OCAD U Board Vice-Chair Sharifa Khan and The Daniels Corporation President Mitchell Cohen.
 

OCAD University has been awarded $4.5 million from the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund (SIF). The Fund is a Government of Canada program that is providing up to $2 billion to accelerate strategic construction, repair and maintenance at universities and colleges across Canada.

The funds will be used by the university to further expand and develop its growth in digital research and innovation, with $2 million to support the research, innovation and environmental sustainability of the Centre for Experiential Learning and $2.5 million allocated for Campus for the Connected World (Phase 1) on Toronto’s Waterfront.

The Centre for Experiential Learning, part of the Creative City Campus, will expand OCAD U’s research and innovation space and nurture the existing campus culture of creativity, collaboration and innovation. The building and its operations will be a model of social and environmental sustainability, incorporating healthy, innovative building materials. The Centre will be located in the Rosalie Sharp Pavilion, at the southeast corner of McCaul and Dundas streets. In 2016, OCAD U received a $27-million investment from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities for the Creative City Campus project. In addition, the Centre for Experiential Learning has received a total of $4 M from benefactors Rosalie and Isadore Sharp.

OCAD University’s Campus for the Connected World on Toronto’s Waterfront is a new facility for research and innovation that will house initiatives specific to innovation training, design thinking, Big Data design and accelerator capacity that support commercialization initiatives and bring design skills to emergent companies.

The two-phase revenue-generating project is located at Jarvis and Queens Quay in City of the Arts, a multi-use complex developed by the Daniels Corporation. The new facility will play a dynamic role in building Waterfront Toronto’s environmental, cultural and economic capacities.

“As we continue to renew and expand our campus, we look forward to amplifying OCAD University’s digitally focused learning and research, as well as its connections to industry and community partners, says Dr. Sara Diamond, President and Vice-Chancellor, OCAD University. “OCAD University is proud to provide experiential learning that will ensure our grads are members of a highly skilled workforce that supports talent innovation and entrepreneurship, crucial to STEAM + D disciplines.

We are grateful to the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario for their support and recognition.”

“Supporting OCAD University’s expansion is not only good for Canada; it’s good for Toronto,” says Adam Vaughan, Member of Parliament for Spadina—Fort York. “OCAD University is at the forefront of delivering new ideas and new leaders for a new economy. Innovation drives Toronto as much as it defines OCAD University, and the federal government is proud to play a role.”

“OCAD U has been a vital part of our community for many years and it has embraced magnificently the imagination and innovation of our young artists and designers. The Creative City Campus will strengthen the foundation of OCAD U, enabling it to further grow and thrive in the 21st century,” says Han Dong, Member of Provincial Parliament for Trinity—Spadina.

OCAD U’s continuous evolution is based on the belief that creativity serves a vital function in society, and that imaginations have the unique power to develop real-world solutions to improve and transform lives. These latest developments will ensure students and faculty continue to have the ability to leverage the power of art, design and digital innovation to change the world for the better.