Looking ahead
The MACC’s structure and operation are designed to maximize the research productivity to the university and member companies. In October 2009, the consortium was recognized with a Leo Derikx Synergy Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, which recognizes an established innovative model of long-standing university-industry partnership in pre-competitive research and development that has improved the general well being of an industry.

Swartz accepted the award on behalf of consortium members. Winning universities currently receive a $200,000 NSERC research grant.

“Much credit must be given to the founders of the consortium who had the foresight to understand the benefits of universities and industry working together in research and development,” he said in response to the award.

David Wilkinson, dean of the faculty of engineering at McMaster, says the MACC serves as a model for how industry and academia can work together successfully. “I am proud of the creativity and leadership shown by my colleagues in the faculty who have demonstrated how to build deep, long-lasting industrial partnerships.”

“Success stories such as this demonstrate that there are ways to build and maintain a strong and vibrant manufacturing industry in Canada,” says Mo Elbestawi, the university’s vice-president of research and international affairs.

Numerous awards to MACC faculty and invitations to present seminars, plenary talks and keynote addresses evidence the high reputation of research at McMaster. In 2002, MacGregor and colleague Thomas Marlin were joint recipients of the Kalev Pugi Award from the Society of Chemical Industry for “outstanding work in bringing together the McMaster Advanced Control Consortium (MACC) as a model research and development project with Canadian and international industry.”

MACC continues to thrive after 21 years, and McMaster’s Swartz welcomes any push toward this type of collaboration at schools across Canada. “There has been an increasing trend in recent years toward research collaboration between academia and industry, supported by both national and provincial funding agencies through several programs designed to achieve this goal. This, in my view, has been a major step forward, with significant benefits to both industry and academia.”

Member companies have reported savings of millions of dollars per year that he says can be attributed to interactions with MACC. “MACC has had a further impact on the Canadian manufacturing industry through the many highly-skilled graduate students who have joined companies in several industrial sectors, who are making a significant contribution through the development and application of advanced process automation technologies.”

Echoing this sentiment, ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s Dudzic says one of the key differentiating capabilities of working with MACC is their knowledge of process industries and the class of problems that we face. “Knowing this,” he says, “they are able to more effectively introduce advanced technologies that they believe are applicable in helping us solve our problems or optimize our operations.”

Adds Vaculik: “You couldn’t find a better academic partner than this.”
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