Sheridan receives investment for second phase of collaborative advanced manufacturing network, SONAMI

Sheridan College received an additional investment today from FedDev Ontario in support of the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI) project. SONAMI is a network that provides access to state-of-the-art applied research equipment and expertise to Southern Ontario’s advanced manufacturing cluster.

With the support of the renewed overall investment of $14 million announced today, SONAMI partners will continue to offer a “single-window” approach to support manufacturers’ research and development needs, encouraging them to adopt and integrate disruptive advanced manufacturing technologies. Sheridan will receive up to $1.9 million in funding for collaborative applied research projects over the next four years.

In December 2016, FedDev announced an investment of $7.3 million through the Investing in Commercialization Partnerships Initiative, that enabled the creation of SONAMI. Led by Niagara College, in collaboration with its partners - Sheridan College’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies (CAMDT); McMaster University’s McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI); and Mohawk College’s Additive Manufacturing Resource Centre (AMRC). The network expanded in 2018 to also include Conestoga College’s Centre for Smart Manufacturing (CSM); Fanshawe College’s Canadian Centre for Product Validation (CCPV); and Lambton College’s Bluewater Technology Access Centre (BTAC).

Since its inception, SONAMI supported academic and industry collaboration through innovative projects. One of those, led by Professor Shirook Ali, a researcher in Sheridan’s CAMDT, looked at revolutionizing the traffic industry with intelligent design. This “intelligent intersection,” which has “eyes” via cameras and “a brain” through analytics and data processing, will be clever enough to make decisions in real time, and help to facilitate traffic flow.

“Sheridan’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies brings expertise and research excellence to SONAMI in the areas of robotics and automation, additive manufacturing, and advanced modelling and simulation,” said Dr. Michelle Chrétien, Director of CAMDT. “This collaboration is a groundbreaking opportunity to foster innovation and cutting-edge research collaborations between among industry, academia and government.”

“Sheridan is proud to be a key partner in the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation,” said Andrea England, Vice Provost, Research at Sheridan. “With the support of this second investment, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with partner academic institutions, and driving industry value and economic growth within our network’s communities.”

Pictured top right: Far left - Dr. Michelle Chrétien, Director of CAMDT.