Innovation Insights Series

Innovation Insights Series: Exploring Mitacs Partnerships for Innovation and Talent

uOttawa Kanata North continues its Innovation Insights Series with a discussion on how organizations can use Mitacs programs to support research collaboration, innovation projects and talent development.

Bringing together academic and industry perspectives, this session will explore how Mitacs supports research partnerships, connects organizations with post-secondary talent and creates funding opportunities that drive innovation and growth.

This session will cover:

• Mitacs funding opportunities and how organizations, researchers and students can benefit from the programs
• Ways uOttawa works with industry to build Mitacs-funded projects
• Real-world collaboration opportunities between academia and industry

The program will include moderated discussions and presentations with partners from industry and the University of Ottawa ecosystem, followed by networking and informal discussions.

Program and Speakers

• 9:00–9:05 a.m. Opening remarks
  Sean Geddes, Director, Innovation and Partnerships, uOttawa Kanata North
• 9:05–9:20 a.m. Mitacs program overview
  Prisca Bustamante Alvarez, PhD, Advisor, Strategic Partnerships, Mitacs
• 9:20–9:35 a.m. R&D project insight
  Marina Cvetkovska, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa
• 9:35–10:15 a.m. Panel discussion

Moderator: Sean Geddes, Director, Innovation and Partnerships, uOttawa Kanata North

Panelists:

Sukhy Kenth-Jaman, MSc, Senior Advisor, Strategic Partnerships, Mitacs

Vio Onut, PhD, Associate Partner - Cyber Strategy and Risk & Master Inventor, IBM Canada. Co-Director | uOttawa-IBM Cyber Range

Marina Cvetkovska, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa

• 10:15–11:15 a.m. Networking

Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Time: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Location: 350 Legget Drive, Suite 300, Kanata