iDeaWORKS is the part of Mohawk College that is devoted to turning concepts into reality. It's where students, faculty, business, non-profit and government organizations connect, share and collaborate.
Our goal is to foster innovation in the college and the community. Students explore innovative ideas, work with new technology and build relationships with external partners - to gain the skills and experience they need to be future ready. Businesses and other community partners benefit from the expertise and technology we offer to help them develop new products, services and processes.
iDeaWORKS is an acronym that represents the three integrated and trans-disciplinary pillars that define our projects: the "i" stands for Innovation, the "e", Entrepreneurship, and the "a" - Applied Research. The "D" represents Design Thinking, which is a practical, creative, problem-solving process that can lead to truly innovative outcomes.
Innovation projects explore new ideas and approaches that can transform the way a service, product or process is delivered to customers and communities.
Applied Research projects deliver practical solutions to the real-world challenges our external partners face. We specialize in projects related to Health and Technology, but we also build and test tools for a range of sectors, including mobile technology, software, energy and advanced materials.
The iDeaWORKS Entrepreneurship program helps students bring their innovative ideas to market. At the Hatchery, students receive the guidance and technology they need to develop a comprehensive business plan and commercialize their ideas.