The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has awarded $398,811 to the University of Windsor to support the development of an Innovation Design Studio and Transformable Manufacturing System, the first of its kind in North America. The systems will be housed in the university's $112-million Centre for Engineering Innovation, scheduled to open for classes in the Fall of 2012. The project is led by engineering researchers Dr. Hoda ElMaraghy, Dr. Ahmed Azab and Dr. Waguih ElMaraghy.

The funding will be used to purchase state-of-the-art equipment to create an "iDesign Studio" and "iFactory," where faculty members and students can develop their product ideas, from conceptualization to prototyping and designing virtual assembly systems, to actually building their product in a real-world, truly reconfigurable factory in the laboratory.

"This funding will help students acquire a unique hands-on experience in integrating product design and manufacturing," said Dr. Hoda ElMaraghy. "These novel technologies will enable industry to implement new business models in order to be competitive in a changing world. This investment from the federal government is helping to put the University of Windsor on the map in the area of manufacturing systems research."

"We are highly grateful for this award from CFI and very proud of what our researchers in the new Centre for Engineering Innovation are doing to enhance our country's competitiveness in manufacturing," said Alan Wildeman, president, University of Windsor.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation is an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure. The University of Windsor's award was given as part of the Leaders Opportunity Fund, which provides support to Canadian institutions so that they can attract and retain leading researchers at a time of intense international competition for knowledge workers.

For a complete list of the projects awarded, please visit www.innovation.ca.