Industry partnerships

We are leveraging the large volumes of data generated from numerous and diverse sources, as well as any new kind of cloud interaction as it becomes available in our increasingly digital world.

Our researchers are studying the application and development of methods to draw insight from available data in order to understand, predict, and improve business strategy, products and services, marketing campaigns, medicine, public health and safety, as well as numerous other pursuits. 

• Motivating gamers with personalized game design

• The traveling salesman problem

• Efficient legal document review

Waterloo is Canada’s leader at turning information and communication technology (ICT) research into innovations that create economic advantage.

Waterloo is uniquely capable of devising effective cybersecurity and privacy tools and technologies, commercializing these tools and technologies, developing the next generation of cybersecurity leaders, and leading in industry-academic collaboration. We have world-leading research strengths in:

• Cryptography Security Privacy enhancing technologies
• Human-computer interaction
• Algorithms
• Networks and distributed systems
• Mathematics relevant to cryptography

The Waterloo Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute (CPI) will nurture and enhance Canada’s leadership position in cybersecurity and privacy research by partnering with industry to collaborate on innovative solutions.

• Smartphone PIN protection methods have high failure rate

At the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre (QNC), our quantum computing researchers have access to a state-of-the-art facility on campus that is like no other in the world.

In our highly collaborative environment, faculty focused on such topics as quantum cryptography work together with those investigating quantum information processing, and others unravelling the mathematical models necessary to comprehend the workings of quantum devices.

The University of Waterloo also offers a unique interdisciplinary graduate program in Quantum Information - at both the masters and PhD levels.

Researchers are working in several major research areas within quantum information, including (but not limited to):

• Quantum error correction & fault tolerance
• Quantum complexity
• Quantum algorithms
• Quantum information theory
• Spin-based quantum information processing
• Nanoelectronics-based quantum information processing
• Optical quantum information processing
• Quantum cryptography

Mathematical models have become more complex and require much more computation. They are being developed for, and applied to, many more situations than every before from industrial manufacturing and design to climate modelling, financial analysis, information security, and data mining. 

• Blockchain for green energy

Mathematical models have become more complex and require much more computation. They are being developed for, and applied to,  more situations than ever before, from industrial manufacturing and design to climate modelling, financial analysis, information security, and data mining. 

We have worked on projects in the study, research, and knowledge of health and the application of that knowledge to improve health, create programs and cure diseases.

• Predicting complex disease progression

• Optimization techniques guide surgeons at SickKids Hospital

• Creating an emotional understanding in virtual humans

• $3.7M in funding for AI and medical imaging project

• Nursing notes can help indicate whether ICU patients will survive

Computational medicine

• Creating software to inform shunt placement for hydrocephalus patients
• Improving cardiology diagnostics with algorithms
• Developing information management systems for health care and hospital performance

Genomics

• Building bioinformatics software tools and algorithms for homology search, protein 3D structure prediction, coding region detection, protein identification and pathway mining
• Increasing efficiency of DNA sequence identification
• Developing efficient search methods for DNA database query and indexing

Interest in financial technology is exploding around the world. The societal demand for timely, impactful Fintech research output and graduates to serve the evolving financial services industry is growing. The dynamic world of finance requires highly skilled personnel with strengths in:

• Applications of machine learning, predictive analytics in finance
• Modern practical optimization techniques for asset allocation, portfolio management, and rebalancing
• Efficient computational techniques for evaluating and hedging complex portfolios of financial instruments. Includes new methods to efficiently compute first and second order sensitivities
• Techniques for high-frequency trading including transaction cost analysis and single asset and portfolio strategies
• Emerging technologies (e.g., blockchain)

With our research strengths in Mathematics and Computer Science, we are uniquely positioned to play an international leadership role in fintech, by leading modern research efforts in mathematical business and financial technology.

• Blockchain for green energy