Researchers for hire

Small and medium-sized businesses generally don’t have the equipment, personnel or time to pursue the type of pre-commercial research and development that has the potential to set a company apart from the pack. But there are many universities, private firms and government institutes open to collaboration or contract research.

Simon Fraser University’s web site notes that working with a university provides the private sector access to specialized expertise and state-of-the-art equipment. This minimizes the investment needed to develop competitive products and may reduce development time. It also presents opportunities to license a university technology.

Most universities have a research or technology transfer liaison office to help connect industry with the proper researchers, and to facilitate applications for funding and advise on intellectual property issues and contracts.

To facilitate your search for a research partner, this table includes some universities and organizations from across Canada that have a clear emphasis on polymer research as it relates to plastics processing.

Another valuable tool is the National Expertise Index, which can be found on Industry Canada’s Strategis Internet site, http://strategis.ic.gc.ca. NEI provides a single window to access individual researchers at universities, colleges and federal and provincial government laboratories. It has links to over 14,000 researchers and research team home pages. It is searchable by keyword, sector (including polymers, plastics, and composites) and by geographic location.