July 24, 2026

Cégep de Shawinigan and Concordia University’s Volt-Age research program are among the founding partners of a new innovation hub in Shawinigan. Supported with a $20M investment from the Government of Québec, the MCS+ Space at the Centre d’entrepreneuriat Alphonse-Desjardins Shawinigan (CEADS) will serve as a location for partners to collaborate on electrification, battery, and advanced material technologies. The facility will contain laboratories and technology to further this end, supporting the eventual transfer of these technologies to electrification and defence markets. Shawinigan Mayor Yves Lévesque asserted that the hub would serve to both re-invigorate CEADS and support growth in a strategic sector of the economy.

Trent University has announced a new PhD Tuition Framework that is intended to strengthen the institution’s ability to recruit doctoral researchers from around the world. The framework aligns international doctoral candidate tuition with domestic out-of-province rates. The institution explains that this framework ensures it can take part in national efforts to attract and develop world-leading research talent and respond to the demand for highly qualified professionals in the research and innovation sectors.

The University of Saskatchewan’s Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) is among nine recipients of a combined $10M in funding from the Government of Canada’s PrairiesCan. USask GIFS will use $1.6M to expand crop and livestock genomics research capacity, building on $1.6M originally allocated to the project in 2025. USask GIFS CEO Jason Reinheimer explained that funding would support the use of a new NovaSeq X Plus DNA sequencer, which will inform research intended to increase crop yields and livestock quality. “This new platform dramatically enhances our ability to generate the high-quality genomic data needed to advance next generation agriculture,” concluded Reinheimer.

CANARIE has co-signed the Global Cyber Threat Sharing Memorandum of Understanding with AARNet (Australia), Jisc (United Kingdom), REN-ISAC/OmniSOC (United States), and REANNZ (New Zealand). The MOU builds on an existing partnership to support a coordinated, cross-border approach to cyberdefence for postsecondary institutions. “Cyber threats facing the research and education sector are global in nature and demand a coordinated global approach,” said CANARIE President and CEO Mike Tremblay. “By renewing this agreement, we are strengthening a trusted network that enables partners to appropriately share timely, actionable threat intelligence and support one another in protecting the people, research, and infrastructure that drive innovation around the world.”

Government of Alberta Minister of Advanced Education Myles McDougall recently emphasized the importance of having specialized advanced education offerings in rural regions. “People like to talk about how important the oil and gas sector is to the province […] but the number two industry for Alberta is agriculture,” said McDougall. The Hamilton Spectator notes that the agricultural sector is changing quickly: It is growing and expanding into new crops and processes, while also becoming more efficient and less labour intensive through consolidation, mechanization, and technological advances. As a result, farmers now require more education to be prepared for these emerging technologies and equipment.

Seven Generations Education Institute has partnered with the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre to launch a business accelerator for food entrepreneurs. The accelerator, named FEAST (Food Enterprises Advancement and SME Transformation), is a nine-to-twelve-month program for entrepreneurs in the Kenora and Rainy River regions. Each participant will have access to SGEI’s Kenora Campus commercial kitchen, mentorship and networking opportunities, guidance on food safety and regulatory compliance, and funding for eligible expenses. “Our goal is to empower local entrepreneurs as they venture into the food manufacturing sector, equipping them with the tools they need to succeed,” stated SGEI Kenora Campus Director Brian Kozak.

An initiative developed by St Francis Xavier University and the Gros Morne Institute for Sustainable Tourism (GMIST) is among the recipients of a $3.7M investment into tourism in the Gros Morne region of Newfoundland and Labrador. The ACTivate – Activating Community Tourism initiative has received $966K. “This funding will help strengthen our tourism sector through training and development programs that support businesses and communities,” explained GMIST Director of Programs & Innovation Nora Fever. “These programs help to surface new opportunities to develop and showcase unique experiences and highlight the incredible natural and cultural assets that make the Atlantic region a world-class destination.”

The National Association of Career Colleges has partnered with Oxford International Digital Institute to bring new English language programming to the 150 career colleges in NACC’s network. Through the partnership, career colleges will have access to a suite of NACC-approved English language solutions created by OIDI, including the Oxford English Language Level Test, the English for Care specialized programme for healthcare settings, and the Online Pre-Sessional English (OPSE). NACC asserted that the partnership “recognizes that language proficiency is more than an academic requirement; it is a foundation for student confidence, classroom success, and long-term career readiness.”

Camosun Innovates has partnered with Indigenous artist Carey Newman and the Canadian Museum of Human Rights (CMHR) to develop a new VR-enabled method to experience Newman’s Witness Blanket art piece. The Virtual Reality Witness Blanket experience will allow multiple users to view the piece together to support group dialogue and reflection. The project will also create a narrative designer tool, which would allow Elders, residential school survivors, and curators to create custom narrative pathways along the Witness Blanket. The CMHR plans to use the virtual nature of the project to expand access to the artwork to remote communities, educational institutions, and partner organizations.

St Clair College has become the first college in North America to receive a Unitree R1 humanoid robot. Using the four-foot-tall robot, students and researchers will work alongside industry partners to identify operational challenges, validate solutions and support responsible adoption within real workplace environments. “By connecting technical innovation with cultural knowledge and lived experience, St Clair College can help ensure that artificial intelligence is not only capable, but also inclusive, trusted and relevant,” said St Clair Director of Research and Innovation Karamjeet Dhillon. “Our goal is to work with industry and expose our students to cutting-edge research.”