On Feb. 6, 2016, Cypher’s President, Todd Burns was asked to speak with Kalen Qually on the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce’s BOLD Radio Show, which aired all across the province on 680 CJOB. Cypher Environmental was chosen as one of only two companies by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce to discuss the topic of Manitoba leading the way in innovation.
During the interview, Burns cited Red River College as an example of why Winnipeg is a great place to do business.
“In terms of the innovation that we are doing, Cypher has a really great link with Red River College…Our technical staff are able to go and utilize their labs pretty much whenever we want. We sort of have a deal on a handshake – you break it, you fix it, and clean up after yourselves and don’t get in the way of the students. And it’s been phenomenal in terms of our ability to utilize resources that we don’t have in our small facility…It’s a great way to build on our capacity to do the research and innovation and grow the business.”
To hear the full conversation with Kalen Qually on BOLD Radio, please click the link below.
https://soundcloud.com/winnipeg-chamber/bold-radio-feb-6th

Top row: Rob Spewak, RRC BETAC Manager; Lloyd Kuczek, VP with Manitoba Hydro; Jose Delos Reyes, RRC Research Manager. Bottom row: Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science; Ray Hoemsen, RRC Research Director; David Johnston, Governor General of Canada; Neil Cooke, Dean, Teaching Excellence, Innovation and Research, RRC; Mario Pinto, President of NSERC. Credit: MCpl Vincent Carbonneau, Rideau Hall, OSGG

WINNIPEG, MB: A research partnership between Red River College (RRC) and Manitoba Hydro that focuses on sustainable building infrastructure and transportation has received Canada’s top honour from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) at a ceremony held at the Governor General of Canada’s residence in Ottawa.
NSERC’s Synergy Award for Innovation recognizes outstanding research and development partnerships between Canadian colleges and industry partners in the natural sciences and engineering. Only one Canadian college receives the award each year.
“This award is the highest level of validation a college can receive for the impact and lasting benefits of its research partnerships efforts,” said Paul Vogt, president and CEO of Red River College. “Our partnerships with industry stakeholders like Manitoba Hydro are critical to our mandate for supporting innovation in Manitoba and providing our graduates with the skills that industry requires.”
The partners have now spent more than a decade conducting applied research in sustainable building infrastructure and transportation, and there is plenty to show for it.
Two major projects associated with the collaborative research by Red River College and Manitoba Hydro include the award-winning Manitoba Hydro Place, which has added an iconic image to energy efficiency on Winnipeg’s skyline, and the development of a zero-emissions electric battery transit bus.
The ongoing four-year demonstration of the electric buses on the streets of Winnipeg is in partnership with the Winnipeg Transit, the Province of Manitoba, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and New Flyer Industries, the industry-leading Winnipeg-based manufacturer of transit buses in North America.
“The legacy of the relationship between Manitoba Hydro and Red River College will live on in our downtown office tower and zero emission buses operating within many North American cities for decades to come,” said Lloyd Kuczek, Manitoba Hydro’s vice president of Customer Care and Energy Conservation. “These projects provide daily reminders of what we can accomplish through collaborative research and of the importance of leveraging the capabilities of research partners like Red River College.”
The partnership was vital in validating the performance of innovative technologies showcased within Manitoba Hydro Place, resulting in the most energy efficient office tower in North America and the first LEED Platinum commercial building in Canada. Manitoba Hydro Place saves more than 70 per cent of the energy used in a typical office building while providing the highest quality of space for its occupants.
Red River College and Manitoba Hydro moved forward from this foundation into a number of ground-breaking initiatives including the formation of an international consortium that is developing, testing, and demonstrating an all-electric battery transit bus and high-capacity charging system — the first of its size in Canada.
“We now have a total of four buses in daily service in Winnipeg and New Flyer has already accepted orders for international sales,” said Ray Hoemsen, director of Applied Research and Commercialization at RRC. “Each in-service bus leads to a reduction of 160 tonnes of green house gases each year, as well as significant fuel savings.”
Manitoba Hydro’s partnership with the College has also been instrumental in the establishment the new NSERC-funded Building Envelope Technology Access Centre.
“Our partnerships with Red River College allows for sustainable thinking to become entrenched in the next generation of industry leaders,” said Dale Friesen, Industrial and Commercial Solutions Division Manager with Manitoba Hydro. “Students graduating from the College will bring an enhanced level of knowledge and understanding in energy efficiency to their future careers, benefiting our province for decades to come.”
The Synergy award grants Red River College up to $100,000 in funding for applied research tools and instruments and Manitoba Hydro will receive a $20,000 voucher towards any future NSERC-funded applied research project.
Earlier this year, Red River College was ranked as the top college in Canada in research partnership growth, and as a top 10 research college overall for the third consecutive year by Research Infosource. The college was also ranked as one of Canada’s greenest employers for the fifth year in a row.
Manitoba Hydro is the leading proponent of energy efficiency in Manitoba through its Power Smart demand-side management programs, which allows the Crown corporation to encourage and support the sustainable and efficient use of energy by the province’s residential, commercial and industrial consumers.
Fact Sheets: English | French
Additional Quotes:
“Polytechnics Canada heartily congratulates the Applied Research team at Red River on this well-deserved NSERC award,” said Nobina Robinson, CEO, Polytechnics Canada. “Red River’s Applied Research team has led the way in demonstrating that colleges and polytechnics have sophisticated research and development capabilities that lead to win-win outcomes for industry, for students and for federally-funded research through agencies such as NSERC.”
“The tremendous achievements of Red River College and its partners demonstrate the strength and potential of the applied research enterprise in colleges and institutes across the country”, said Denise Amyot, President and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada.  “Federal government investments in applied research are closing Canada’s innovation gap and benefiting students, industry and communities in every province and territory.”
NSERC Award Video:

Photos from the Ceremony:

The Winnipeg Free Press’ Martin Cash recently shared news about RRC’s new program that will provide a key resource for both entrepreneurial RRC students and local startups.  RRC students get hands-on learning and experience in a real startup, and the startup receives development assistance at no cost, other than their time and effort in mentoring the students.

Ace that Startup

RRC launches program to help entrepreneurial students to turn their ideas in to businesses.
Writeen by Martin Cash and published in the Winnipeg Free Press on 01/14/2016
Excerpt:
From the vantage point of its Princess Street campus, Red River College has the perfect perspective on the potential of Innovation Alley.

That’s why it launched a new program that some believe could become the missing link between the education system and the burgeoning entrepreneurial eco-system in Winnipeg.
Read the full article.

For its building airtightness testing activities at Fort Whyte Alive, Red River College’s Building Envelope Technology Access Centre was recently featured in the Globe and Mail’s Property Report.
Read more about the BETAC →

Red River College’s partnership with Granny’s Poultry Co-operative was featured in the NSERC Research News recently. Read the full story here.
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Gluten-free Turkeys from Freezer to Oven

Two new turkey products have been introduced to retail stores in the Prairies thanks to testing and tasting at Red River College’s (RRC) School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts.

Granny’s Poultry was able to launch two new products. The Cornbread Stuffed Turkey and an Unstuffed Slow Cooker Turkey Roast are now sold through a major retailer in over 100 stores across the Prairies. The products are the first on the market to be naturally gluten-free and cooked straight from the freezer without thawing.

“By working closely with chefs and students at the college on the final phase of development we were able to fine tune our unique corn bread stuffing formula and validate cooking methods,” said Wortzman. “After testing our finished product on a broad demographic we were able to confidently partner with a national retailer on an ambitious new product launch plan.”
Read more.

Red River College has received funding to continue its applied research activities focused on energy efficiency of large institutional and commercial buildings. A new $1.75-million grant will ensure the continuation of the activities that were started with the Sustainable Infrastructure Technology Research Group (SITRG).
Read more about the BETAC funding →

WINNIPEG, MB – Red River College (RRC) has been recognized as Canada’s top research college in partnership growth for 2014, as well as 8th overall by Research Infosource in their annual Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges 2015 list.
The College has placed in the top 10 overall every year since Research Infosource first published its Top 50 list in 2013.
“Applied Research & Commercialization at the College continues to create and deliver more applied research and innovation resources for our partners and the communities we serve,” said Paul Vogt, president and CEO of Red River College. “Next to workforce-ready graduates, applied research offerings are key to our business community. It has led to many innovations in products, production methods and services delivered by Manitoba enterprises.”
Along with leading the nation in partnership growth (a new category), RRC increased its ranking in total number of partnerships from 12th to 6th and total number of projects from 15th to 11th.
The only sub-category in which the College’s ranking lowered was in research intensity, which can actually be looked at as a good thing. Research intensity is calculated based on total research income and the number of researchers engaged.
“While our research income remained relatively stable in 2014, we engaged more researchers in our projects,” said Ray Hoemsen, director of Applied Research & Commercialization at Red River College. “An increase in researchers engaged translates to a net benefit towards curriculum development and applied student learning and contributes to the long term growth of our research capacity.”
Overall, Canadian college research income growth took a sharp decline in 2014, going from over 30 per cent growth in 2012 and 2013 to only 4.7 per cent in 2014.
“Our relative research income stability in 2014 is a testament to our role and integration into Manitoba’s business and innovation ecosystems,” said Vogt. “Our initiatives are predominantly tied to solving problems for businesses, and helping them innovate. That also happens to be what the federal funders are looking for from colleges – practical and meaningful research tied to a business case.”
RRC’s research income in 2014 was tied to focus areas, including aerospace and manufacturing; sustainable transportation, like the Zero Emissions Transit Bus Project; and social innovation, like the Science of Early Child Development.

The new investment to build a construction research centre that will spark partnerships with Winnipeg’s construction industry was highlighted with a visit from representatives from both the federal and provincial governments.
Read more about the investment →

Red River College earned a bronze award for Innovation in Applied Research this week, during the closing gala of College and Institute Canada’s (CICan) annual conference in Winnipeg.
The award celebrates the College’s dynamic applied research partnership with Manitoba Hydro.
“We are pleased to be recognized for the work we have done with Manitoba Hydro, one of our most important research partners and graduate employers,” said David Rew, interim president and CEO of RRC. “What an excellent opportunity to celebrate our research achievements in sustainable technology and design.”
The College’s research collaboration with Manitoba Hydro has focused primarily on green building design and technology, and on the electrification of vehicles. Two of its most notable projects include Manitoba Hydro’s award-winning energy efficient downtown office tower and more recently, the all-electric transit bus.
“Our partnership with RRC has fostered an environment for creative integration on leading-edge technology that contributes to a more sustainable future,” said Scott Thomson, president and CEO of Manitoba Hydro. “We view our relationship with the College as an important driver for long-term change that will promote continued innovation and advancement of energy efficiency in Manitoba.”
Manitoba Hydro is now a leading proponent and private sector funder for RRC’s Centre for Building Envelop Performance, for which the College was recently awarded $1.75 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Other notable projects the partnership has delivered include the parabolic solar trough project, air-leakage testing of over 20 commercial buildings in Manitoba, one of the largest plug-in hybrid electric vehicle fleet in Canada for demonstrations, testing and more.
Gold and Silver in the Innovation in Applied Research category went to colleges from Ontario: Centennial College for its Applied Research and Innovation Centre, and Algonquin College.
“Once again we were thrilled by the submissions we received for the CICan Awards of Excellence,” said Denise Amyot, CICan president and CEO. “Canada’s colleges and institutes never cease to amaze us with their innovative spirit and creativity and this year’s winners definitely embody the best that they have to offer.”
It’s the second time CICan has recognized RRC with a national award. In 2011, they honoured Ray Hoemsen, director of Applied Research & Commercialization, with their Gold Leadership Excellence award.
In the past year, Red River College’s applied research program has been recognized both nationally — with its second consecutive Top 10 research college ranking by Research Infosource — and internationally, with an International Award of Excellence for its commitment to social development from the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics.

Seated: Lloyd Schreyer, Chair, RRC Polytech Board of Governors; Gerri Charette; and Paul Charette, former CEO, Bird Construction. Standing: Christine Crowe, Interim Vice-President, Academic and Research, RRC Polytech; Freyja Arnason, Manager of Partnership Programs, Research Manitoba; David Rew, Interim RRC Polytech President; Nancy Wheatley, Dean, School of Construction and Engineering Technologies, RRC Polytech; and Ray Hoemsen, Director, Applied Research & Commercialization, RRC Polytech.

Red River College alum Paul Charette, former CEO of Bird Construction, and his wife Gerri have donated $1 million towards the establishment of a research chair for RRC’s School of Construction and Engineering Technology (SCET).
The province will provide matching funds to create the new chair position, which will be called the Paul Charette – Manitoba Applied Research Chair in Sustainable Construction.
“We are humbled by Paul and Gerri’s generous commitment and very pleased that the province has responded with matching funds,” said David Rew, interim president of RRC. “It’s an excellent show of confidence in SCET, and in our nationally recognized applied research program.”
The new position will support student learning while helping the construction industry develop innovative processes, technologies and applications to reduce costs, boost productivity and create more sustainable infrastructure. The Chair will also lead SCET’s research program.
“Being a 40-year veteran of the construction sector, it’s clear that research and innovation are lagging far behind other sectors,” said Charette. “I believe that sustainable infrastructure is what our industry really needs to move toward.”
Charette says applied research benefits not only the sector through new product innovations, but also students, by engaging them in the process and teaching them to be critical thinkers — an ability they’ll need to become advocates of change in the sector.
“We need students that will challenge their managers to do things in new ways,” he said.
Dr. Shokry Rashwan, previously the research manager with National Research Council Canada’s Centre for Computer-Assisted Construction Technologies, has been appointed to the new Chair position.
“Manitoba’s construction sector is heavily reliant upon the College for qualified – and increasingly, technology- and innovation-savvy – graduates,” said Rashwan. “I’m excited to be filling this critical role and look forward to working with both students and industry to meet the sector’s current and future needs.”
It’s an especially exciting time for construction innovation in Manitoba, with the College’s recent $1.75-million award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council to establish the Centre for Building Envelope Performance (CBEP), which is expected to significantly increase access to the College’s facilities, equipment and expertise for Manitoba’s building industry
Rashwan is now the third research chair at Red River College, joining Fred Doern (School of Transportation, Aviation and Manufacturing) and Janet Jamieson (School of Health Sciences and Community Services).
“After a decade of applied research at the College, we are pleased to be responding to the research needs of our communities with established research chairs that provide direction and leadership to their schools,” said Ray Hoemsen, Director of Applied Research & Commercialization.