Overview

The Office of Research Services (ORS) facilitates the development, protection and commercialization of Ontario Tech intellectual property (IP) that solves real-world challenges. Once the technology has been protected, the ORS works with inventors to launch new start-ups, or seek partners to mobilize the research outcomes to the market.

 

Research Mission and Philosophy 

Ontario Tech University is a research-intensive institution that drives innovation with technical, social and economic impact.  We strive to solve real-world problems by creating intellectual property (IP) that can bring benefit to the broader society.  We aim to create a research environment that facilitates the development, protection, mobilization and commercialization of intellectual property in a manner that is fair, respectful of academic freedom,  and embedded in university culture. This environment balances the interests of the university, individual members, industry partners and government. 

Our IP Policy aligns with Ontario Tech’s priority of “Tech with a Conscience” by empowering researchers to solve real-world problems and deliver societal and economic benefits through their innovations. At Ontario Tech, we believe that technology is only as ethical as the humans guiding it. We’re building a brighter future, where leaders are a force for good and technology is built with human values at its core. Technology is a tool imagined by humanity to uplift society and our planet. Our ingenuity is our greatest asset. It has allowed us to survive for generations and will empower us to thrive for many more. 

University Intellectual Property Policy 

Ontario Tech University follows a creator-owned IP policy, meaning all academic personnel own the intellectual property (IP) they create in the course of their teaching, research and other scholarly activities.  For the most part, inventions and other IP created in the course of research will be jointly owned by the faculty member and their students and postdocs. This distinctive policy provides creators with the flexibility and incentive to translate their research into real-world applications, encouraging innovation, collaboration and commercialization.  

The rights to IP created by non-academic personnel, such as technicians and contract employees, are owned by the university. These rights are clearly specified in the employment contract of non-academic personnel. The ownership of IP created during an externally-sponsored or contract research activities may be determined in whole or in part by regulations of the sponsor or the terms of the contract.

In line with our Commercialization Framework, the VPRI (Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation) actively supports IP mobilization by helping researchers with management, disclosure, commercialization planning, educational resources and entrepreneurship support through ORS and Brilliant Catalyst.

Our Success Story

Ontario Tech’s tech transfer performance remains strong within Canada’s institutional research ecosystem, particularly among mid-sized research universities. The university’s technology transfer activities include over 30 invention disclosures submitted annually, a portfolio of 23 active patents and the creation of approximately 30 new startups each year through the support of Brilliant Catalyst. These are clear indicators that Ontario Tech’s specialized research infrastructure and the Office of Research Services’ commercialization programs are translating research excellence into tangible economic and societal impact. Learn more about our track record of excellence on our Research Metrics Dashboard.

Available Technologies

Our technology portfolio is organized by application areas that reflect both academic strength and market readiness. Visit our Inventions for Licence webpage to view available opportunities.

Contact Us 

We welcome collaborations with companies, startups, investors and public-sector organizations that want to turn ideas into market impact. Whether your goal is to license a proven technology, develop a next-generation product, test a prototype in world-class facilities or launch a startup, Ontario Tech can be your research and commercialization partner.

Contact our Office of Research Services – IP Officer, Peter Y. Shao to explore opportunities.