Building Powerful Partnerships - National Research Council Canada

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Over the years, NRC has established dynamic, long-term partnerships with industry groups, businesses, universities, government, research funding agencies and economic development organizations, turning individual strengths into powerful collective action.

There is no single model for a successful partnership. Some are simple partnerships between NRC and a firm intent on taking a new technology to market. Others involve multiple players pursuing a shared goal of developing community-based clusters of firms specializing in a single area of technology. And, there are partnerships based on collaborative research agreements, research and service contracts, technology transfer agreements, as well as contributions of funding, laboratory space and equipment, and property for new buildings.

For example, to increase the momentum of fuel cell discovery in Vancouver, NRC has partnered with industry, Canada Research Chairs, the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria. Several other partners — Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Canada, Natural Resources Canada and the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program — are co-located in the NRC fuel cells research facility. Together they draw on university research through cross-appointed professors; the private sector through collaborative agreements and joint research and testing programs; other NRC institutes; other federal departments; and private firms working locally in fuel cell development.

Going beyond traditional collaborative approaches, NRC has recently struck a partnership with the research institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). MUHC laboratories have been moved into the NRC biotechnology research facilities in Montréal where researchers from both organizations will collaborate on joint health projects. MUHC researchers will benefit from NRC's ultramodern facilities and expertise in health biotechnologies, technology transfer and intellectual property management, as well as greater interaction with pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies.

In Prince Edward Island, NRC has helped launch another successful partnership. NRC, the University of Prince Edward Island and Agriculture and Agrifood Canada have partnered to support the creation of the Centre for Bioresources and Health.

Working together with incubating companies at this centre, partners can integrate their research, education, scientists, equipment and infrastructure. Through shared resources and collaborative R&D projects, they can achieve results no single partner can achieve single-handedly.

Creating globally competitive technology clusters — concentrations of technology intensive firms focused on specific sectors — is one of the best strategies for fostering a nation’s economic growth.

Partnering across borders

Real Results

New centre helps entrepreneurs

The NRC Centre for the Commercialization of Biomedical Technology in Winnipeg is a key element of BioMed City, a community-driven effort to establish Winnipeg as Canada's community of excellence for public health research and innovation. Its programs and services help entrepreneurs and small Canadian firms grow and successfully commercialize biomedical technology and reach markets around the world.

Through its international network of technical and scientific intelligence, NRC is working to enhance Canada's innovation performance. Given the clear benefits generated by partnerships, NRC pursues international research alliances with countries that share Canada's S&T and innovation goals.

Today, NRC enjoys research partnerships with equivalent organizations in several countries:

Other types of international agreements involve NRC and two or more international partners, for example the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. NRC and partner countries also benefit from many other agreements established between public and private R&D institutes. Each of these agreements brings together the top minds and technology resources of other countries, helping partners progress on shared research and innovation agendas.