Start Changing the World at George Brown College

Does the negative news cycle have you yearning to create positive change but unsure where to start? Well, we have good news. There’s a way to study what you love while working with organizations to create solutions that make the world a better place.

At George Brown College (GBC), research and innovation activities provide excellent opportunities for students to use skills they’ve learned in the classroom to solve real-world challenges. As one of Canada’s top-10 research colleges, organizations of all sizes want to work with GBC — from fledgling startups to established leaders in their sector. Students get hands-on experience to add to their resumes, including fulfilling project briefs from industry partners to solve design, product, and user experience (UX) challenges as part of our Innovation Exchanges. And they gain industry contacts before leaving school. It’s a win-win!

Dr. Krista Holmes

Associate Vice-President, Research & Innovation, George Brown College

“Meaningful research and innovation opportunities exist in nearly every area of the college,” says Dr. Krista Holmes, George Brown’s Associate Vice-President of Research and Innovation. “Student researchers make a difference by supporting sustainable growth and helping industry and community organizations solve challenges and improve services. And in return, our students develop skills that will set them apart in the workforce.”

On the cutting-edge of culinary arts 

Food and beverage research and development (R&D) doesn’t happen in a vacuum. GBC’s Food Innovation and Research Studio (FIRSt) offers exciting opportunities for students with a passion for all things culinary to experience product R&D firsthand. With expertise in product strategy, commercialization, process development, food safety, consumer research, sensory evaluation, manufacturing and food chemistry, FIRSt has worked with 524 private companies to develop 3,201 prototypes and enabled over 26,000 hours of student experiential learning since 2012.

From prototype to full production line 

GBC’s Product Development Exchange is the first stand-alone facility in the GTA to offer end-to-end product development services — including early-stage support, prototype design, and assessment services. This incubator helps Ontario’s small- to medium-sized businesses bring new products and services to market through an iterative cycle of product development and refinement. Research teams work with partners like Quantum Robotics Systems to develop service robots for vulnerable populations, and Plastic Flux, a new startup in Toronto transforming black plastic into functional furniture. 

Powering social change through technology

At GBC, we’re using technology for good through our Social Innovation Exchange. Our research teams work on a range of projects that help our local community, including creating adaptive clothing in partnership with March of Dimes, developing a community guide to cancer nutrition with Gilda’s Club of Greater Toronto, and using tablet technology for open-ended literacy learning with the Peel District School Board.

Building a new approach to sustainable textiles at Joe Fresh

Sustainability is a big part of our research and innovation efforts and an integral part of what we do. We recently partnered with the Canadian fashion brand Joe Fresh to tackle textile waste, a significant source of landfill, by researching cellulosic fibre regeneration. This two-year project ran out of our Fashion Exchange (FX), a hub that aims to model and foster innovative, ethical, environmentally, and socially sustainable fashion production. Our new net-zero carbon emissions mass-timber building Limberlost Place — set to open to students in January 2025 — will be home to GBC’s new Brookfield Sustainability Institute (BSI), which will focus on aligning digital transformation and sustainability for the benefit of communities everywhere.

GBC’s industry-focused programs prepare you with theoretical knowledge and real-world experience so you can get out there and change the world. We can’t wait to see what you’ll do!