New partnership expands range of facilities and brings product design R&D capabilities
George Brown College has become the newest member of the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI), a Niagara College-led consortium of postsecondary academic institutions that provides competitive, disruptive and innovative solutions to Ontario’s manufacturers.
The partnership will expand the range of facilities and expertise available to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and extend SONAMI’s reach further into Southern Ontario. The addition of Toronto’s George Brown College to SONAMI now brings the total in the network to nine postsecondary partners, including: Centennial, Conestoga, Fanshawe, Lambton, Mohawk, Niagara and Sheridan colleges, and McMaster University.
Through the centralized network hub, and the resources and talents of member institutions, SONAMI is able to meet the needs of SMEs in various industries, giving them access to cutting-edge technologies, knowledge and funding in order to de-risk their applied R&D, create innovative new products and optimize processes.
Targeted industries include energy systems, agri-food, health, environmental, computer and electronic automation, industrial internet of things technology (IIoT), traditional manufacturing, aerospace and transportation – and now expanded capacity in rapid early-stage prototyping and assessment, with the addition of The Product Development Exchange (PDx). PDx has been a leader in product innovation and design, including concept design, product research, prototype fabrication, and technical communications, for more than a decade.
“We are so pleased to join SONAMI ranks and stand alongside such strong players in the innovation ecosystem. This membership will allow us to sustain a pipeline of steady, reliable support for our partners–past, present and future,” said Krista Holmes, PhD, Associate Vice-President, Research & Innovation at George Brown. “To stay relevant in an ever-changing market, industry has long needed to evolve quickly, but the difficulty in doing so has been magnified by the last two years.
“This is our goal: to support our partners’ resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges, whether it’s in launching new products, adopting new technologies or building robust regional supply chains.”
In 2019, the award-winning SONAMI entered its second phase after a significant reinvestment from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), following a successful first three years. With this continued support came the announcement the network would increase its membership to 10 postsecondary partners, enhancing its reach to help manufacturers innovate.
Since its inception, industry partners have benefitted from collaborative projects by: increasing sales, reducing manufacturing costs, diversifying product lines, and realizing their innovative ideas. SONAMI partners have worked with more than 200 SMEs to complete more than 319 projects, developed 437 prototypes, created or maintained 206 permanent jobs and provided skills and training for hundreds of students to prepare them for future jobs.
“George Brown College’s focus on product design and innovation brings a unique set of capabilities to SONAMI, further enhancing support for manufacturers,” said Marc Nantel, PhD, Vice-President, Research & External Relations at Niagara College.
“By welcoming this institution – with its strong history of applied research – to the partnership, the network will advance its resources available to assist SMEs to remain competitive by offering leading-edge solutions for industry partners,” said Nantel, who is also the Chair of the SONAMI Steering Committee. “At the same time, we continue to provide more students with the opportunities to gain essential skills by working alongside research staff and faculty on real-world projects.”
To access the advanced manufacturing network, representatives from interested businesses can contact SONAMI’s Project Manager, Sarah Dimick, at [email protected]. For more information about the network, please visit the SONAMI website.
Researcher John Allan Ellingson works on an industry project in the PDx lab at George Brown.
SONAMI Quick facts:
- SONAMI was established in 2016 – led by Niagara College, in partnership with McMaster University, Mohawk College and Sheridan College – with an initial $7.3 million contribution from FedDev Ontario, which provided funding through March 2019. The network expanded to include three additional academic institutions: Conestoga, Fanshawe and Lambton colleges.
- In August 2019, FedDev Ontario announced an additional investment of $14 million towards a five-year project (through to December 2023), which would grow the network to 10 partners, enhancing its reach to help manufacturers innovate.
- Niagara College received the 2019 Research Partnership Award from the Canadian Association of Research Administrators (CARA) for the significant impact SONAMI has had on the regional economy.
- Through specialized expertise, resources and R&D capabilities, SONAMI partners have a broad range of capabilities that provide effective innovation and technology transfer in areas of automation, additive manufacturing, product testing & validation, Industry 4.0, process optimization, simulation & modelling, and digitally-enabled and intelligent manufacturing.
- SMEs wanting to innovate but do not have the resources of time, knowledge/skills or finances to take them to the next level can de-risk their R&D by leveraging a 1:1 funding match on projects. This could reduce overall project costs by up to 50% and help more manufacturers participate.
