Georgian College receives $1 million from Ontario Research Fund to expand Ontario’s first Industry 5.0 sandbox
Jan. 21, 2026
Barrie, ON – Georgian College has received $1 million from the Ontario Research Fund (ORF) to support the expansion of its Centre of Industrial Simulation and Prototyping, Ontario’s first Industry 5.0 sandbox designed to help manufacturers and technology companies test and adopt advanced technologies in a safe, controlled environment.
The ORF investment serves as the provincial matching fund to a $1 million award from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) announced last October, bringing combined federal and provincial infrastructure funding to $2 million.
The Centre was established by Georgian College to provide manufacturers and technology providers with an independent, low risk setting to simulate, test, demonstrate and validate advanced manufacturing technologies before real-world deployment. Unlike traditional applied research labs, the Centre is intentionally designed to function both as a hands-on research facility and as an exhibition and demonstration hub, allowing technology developers and adopters to work together to evaluate solutions collaboratively.
“Georgian College is a vital partner in workforce education and economic development in Ontario,” said Kevin Weaver, president and CEO of Georgian College. “Together with businesses and industry, this funding strengthens our collective ability to move promising technologies into practice faster, driving real results for employers and communities across the province. I want to thank the Ontario government for their support and commitment to innovative technology and learning.”
“In the face of economic uncertainty, Ontario researchers are bolstering our critical industries with discoveries that cement our province as a global leader,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “Through this investment, the Centre of Industrial Simulation and Prototyping at Georgian College will further advance Ontario’s manufacturing sector, create good paying jobs, and train the next generation of leaders in this economy-driving sector.”
The combined ORF and CFI investments support the acquisition and installation of advanced equipment and integrated physical and digital environments, including automation platforms, robotics, simulation and virtual commissioning technologies, and specialized testing spaces. This capital foundation allows federal Technology Access Centre (TAC) funding to be fully leveraged for applied research and commercialization, workforce training, and industry engagement, maximizing the return on public investment.
The Industry 5.0 sandbox model directly supports Ontario’s priorities related to productivity, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) competitiveness, and supply-chain resilience. By enabling digital simulation, virtual commissioning, and hands-on prototyping, the Centre helps companies shorten implementation timelines, reduce costly errors, and improve operational efficiency.
This capability is particularly important to SMEs, which often lack access to specialized infrastructure, technical expertise, and independent testing environments needed to adopt advanced technologies with confidence.
The Centre also plays a key role in skills development and workforce readiness, reflecting Industry 5.0’s human-centric principle that places people at the center of technological transformation. Students work alongside industry partners and technology providers on real production, integration, and optimization challenges, gaining hands-on experience with advanced manufacturing systems, digital tools, and human-centred technologies.
This applied learning model produces job-ready graduates, while helping Ontario employers address skills shortages in advanced manufacturing, automation, and digital technologies.