Research Infosource ranks Durham College first among medium-sized colleges in two AI categories

Research Infosource Inc. named Durham College one of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges and ranked it first among medium-sized colleges in two artificial intelligence categories—AI research partnerships (87) and completed AI projects (106)—on Dec. 4.

Durham College operates campuses in Oshawa and Whitby. The recognition relates to applied research carried out through the college’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE), which oversees five research centres.

ORSIE’s centres are the AI Hub, Centre for Craft Beverage Innovation, MRC Studio, Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation and the Social Impact Hub.

The college said the AI Hub is the only Technology Access Centre in Canada that focuses exclusively on artificial intelligence and has worked with companies in eight provinces.

Examples cited by the college include a deep learning-based skin analysis platform developed with Niagara-based beauty brand Adoreyes to provide real-time insights to estheticians, and work with Forged Operations to determine how AI could improve software used in nuclear environments.

“AI is everywhere for companies right now, and they are looking to colleges and organizations like ours to help them bring it into their work in a meaningful way,” said Natalie Arthurs, senior manager of the AI Hub.

“With the deep expertise we have across our five research centres, we are meeting the needs of our industry partners,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, associate vice-president, Innovation and Research. She added that being named one of Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges recognizes that expertise and work taking place locally and across the country.