The division of Adult Education, Learner Supports, and Applied Research houses the Applied Research Department at Holland College. Applied research at Holland College supports economic development for Prince Edward Island by solving technical and business problems for industry and community clients utilizing the college's expertise, equipment and facilities while enhancing the quality of college programs and services through unique learning opportunities for students.

Applied Research and Industry Engagement at Holland College

Holland College Strategic Research Pillars

Holland College’s applied research efforts focus on key areas closely linked to college programs. The expertise and research capacity of our faculty and our industry partners are reflected in our two main research pillars: Social Innovation, and Science and Technologies. The projects completed to date belong to one of these two pillars, although some of our ongoing projects are in other areas, and future projects will be more diverse, depending on the needs of our industry partners.

Applied Research

• Activities that attempt to solve problems or to take advantage of market opportunities.
• The discovery of new products, processes or services.
• The use of existing technologies in new applications.
• The application of new technologies to improve existing products or processes.

The Role of Colleges

• Provide subject matter expertise
• Provide lab and workshop space
• Provide guidance to research funding sources
• Provide linkages to outside expertise and resources
• Provide student learning opportunities
• Provide project management support

The Role of Industry

• Provides defined research problem, purpose or objective
• Provides background to research objectives, for example: reduce costs, increase sales, or add to product line
• Provides guidance to possible routes to resolution
• Provides in-kind expertise as part of research team
• Provides cash contribution to conduct of research

Related Issues

• Non-Disclosure / Confidentiality Agreements (put into place by industry or college)
• Knowledge Property Ownership (depends upon research /partnership model)
• Environmental factors and permits /licenses required
• Regulatory requirements
• Human and animal ethics
• Research administration and financial accountability
• Researcher / worker safety
• Milestones and deadlines

Benefits to Industry

• New products or services for own use
• Reduced waste / improved productivity
• Value of knowledge /Intellectual property for sale to others
• Educational value of research methods for industry researchers
• Development of constructive thinking skills for possible solutions

Benefits to Colleges

• Adds dimension to student learning for practical application within industry
• Provides direct communications between industry and college instructors
• Provides value-added professional development

As an NSERC eligible institution, Holland College's research mandate supports discovery and innovation as a key to Canada's economic prosperity. Holland College is compliant with Tri-Council policies on ethics. The Research Ethics Board meets monthly and provides review for all research projects at the college. A research advisory council meets regularly to provide input into the Strategic Research Agenda, the policies governing research and intellectual property at Holland College. Research policies are compliant with Holland College ISO 9001: 2008 Certification.

For the most current information regarding Applied Research, click here.

Please feel free to download research reports from completed projects.

If you are interested in finding out more about Applied Research at Holland College, please contact Doris MacIsaac.

Industry partners looking to get involved in applied research should contact Shawn A. MacDougall, M.Sc., Research Development Officer 902-626-8004.

As a member of Springboard Atlantic, Holland College can also help connect you to university and college-based research expertise throughout the region.