research and innovation : Featured Stories

There's more to believing than seeing. We look at two local entrepreneurs with vision impairments who are creating new products designed to enhance the day-to-day life and social experiences of those with low vision and blindness.

The first in a two-part series exploring local youth entrepreneurship, this article looks at how a growing number of high school, university and college students are using crowdfunding to help finance and launch their own businesses while they're still in school. 

Igor Bonifacic reflects on the year that's been in the city's startup community, and looks forward to five startups to watch in 2014. From cameras to keyboards, Toronto's entrepreneurs are entering the market with five exciting new products.

How George Brown College, the Toronto District School Board, and Toronto Education Workers are trying to save the cafeteria and raise a generation of foodies while they're at it.

Wearable technology is gaining significant ground here in Toronto, from bulletproof suits to devices that offer vision to the legally blind. We round up several entrepreneurs who are pushing boundaries and weaving the world of wearable tech as we know it. 

From printing synthetic skin to preventing Internet censorship, local companies are shaking things up. In part II of our series exploring exponential technologies in Toronto, we look at how the city’s innovators are revolutionizing cyber security and 3D printing.

A new program called Garden Connections uses design technology to imagine and demonstrate what gardens could look like on condominiums, all before lifting a shovel. The technology beautifies floorplans and could have huge sway on how buyers purchase condos. 

Hossein Rahnama is the brain behind Flybits, an award winning Ryerson-based company that is changing the way we communicate with our cities—and how our cities communicate with us. Context-aware computing may sound futuristic, but it's already here.

For people with invisible disabilities, entering the workforce or holding a full-time job can be difficult, if not seemingly impossible. Some Canadian companies are beginning to shift their thinking and reduce stigma--and doing so is simpler than you'd think. 

From Toronto to New York: International investors, especially American ones, are starting to invest in the city's most promising startups. We look at how Toronto's 500px scored its first investment and what that means for the city's ecosystem.

Faster computing and cheaper product development has created a booming culture of innovation in Toronto. This two part series takes a look at four sectors leading the way, starting with healthcare and cleantech.   

Rahul Bhardwaj talks about his five recommendations for a better Toronto and the one thread that ties them all together: that Toronto cannot solve any one problem on its own, we need to look at issues on a network level.

Jamie McIntyre, a professor at George Brown College's Centre for Construction and Engineering Technologies, looks to create the next generation of prototype masters. He argues proper protoyping is a fundamental aspect of product development.

Natalie Panek may only be 28, but she's one of the few people in the country who can operate the Next Generation Canadarm. Now, she's on a mission to encourage more young girls to take risks and pursue careers in space. 

For Toronto startup Clear Blue Technologies, the future is the past. The company has turned to smart off-grid technology to wirelessly control solar and wind power via cloud computing.