Canadian students and recent graduates will gain new opportunities to work on advanced manufacturing technologies through an expanded partnership between Mitacs and Next Generation Manufacturing Canada.
The organizations have announced a two-year partnership that will support 60 internships within industry-led research and development projects across Canada.
Representing between $600,000 and $1.2 million in award value, the initiative is intended to connect highly qualified students and graduates with Canadian manufacturers, technology developers and academic researchers.
The internships will support work in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, sustainable manufacturing, advanced materials, defence, security, space technology and quantum technologies.
The partnership addresses two related challenges facing Canadian manufacturers: shortages of specialized talent and the difficulty of turning promising research into commercial technology.
By embedding students and graduates directly within industry projects, Mitacs and NGen aim to give companies access to emerging technical talent while helping participants gain practical experience and professional connections.
“By supporting more than 60 internships nationwide, we are helping build the next generation of innovators who will shape Canada’s leadership in AI, robotics, sustainable manufacturing and other transformative technologies,” said NGen president and CEO Dr. Jayson Myers.
The collaboration builds on a memorandum of understanding the organizations signed in 2022 to support pre-commercial innovation projects through industry and academic partnerships.
NGen has supported more than 200 collaborative research and development projects, primarily involving small and medium-sized businesses. These projects have included work in artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced materials, space technology and sustainable manufacturing.
Since 2018, Mitacs has delivered nearly 2,000 advanced manufacturing innovation projects representing more than $135 million in research and development investment. More than 1,000 business partners have participated.
Mitacs CEO Dr. Stephen Lucas said connecting students with advanced manufacturers can help Canadian technologies reach international markets faster while developing a workforce equipped for the sector’s changing needs.
The new internships will extend that approach nationally, creating pathways for emerging talent while giving Canadian companies additional capacity to develop and commercialize advanced technologies.