Researchers to help companies increase competitiveness, decrease their carbon footprints

Applied research teams at Mohawk College will be able to help as many as 20 Canadian businesses improve energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprints thanks to funding support from the National Research Council Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP).

Two leading applied research centers at Mohawk – the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College (CCCM) and the Energy Power and Innovation Centre (EPIC) – are receiving a combined total of up to $300,000 from NRC IRAP to provide free assistance to eligible small- to medium-sized businesses between October 2022 and March 2024. Eligible businesses identified by NRC IRAP can receive up to 120 hours of applied research support from both research teams to assess their carbon footprint, identify energy reduction opportunities, leverage Mohawk’s equipment to monitor operations, and provide customized recommendations that fit their goals and interests for developing new innovative products and processes.

“Mohawk College applied research teams help industry partners address pressing challenges related to emission reduction” says Dr. Shefaza Esmail, Program Manager of SME Solutions at Mohawk College. “We are able to help partners increase their capabilities and reduce their environmental impact at the same time.”

The CCCM supports climate change efforts by partnering with municipal, industry and community partners on applied research projects. EPIC, nationally recognized as a Technology Access Centre, helps companies in multi-disciplinary technical challenges around energy and resource analysis, and the implementation of practical industry solutions.

Eight companies worked with EPIC and CCCM last year on applied research projects as part of the pilot phase of the NRC IRAP-supported initiative, including software company CarbonGraph.

“We are a small software start-up and didn’t have the resources to collect and compile existing life cycle inventory data to extend our database. Participating in the program was able to help us outsource these tasks, lean on Mohawk's climate expertise, and ultimately collect the information that will help us move forward with our business,” says Sam Anderson, Co-Founder of CarbonGraph.

To find out how Mohawk College can help your company, email Dr. Shefaza Esmail to book an appointment.