Technological Futures

The "Solving the crisis:" series explores the pressing challenges of our time, including climate change, access to health care, housing affordability and more. Each article highlights how Waterloo, a hub of research, innovation and creative thinking, is uniquely positioned to address these issues. Through this series, we highlight the dedication of researchers to tackling global crises and shaping a better future for all.

As leaders in innovation, University of Waterloo students approach challenges differently in pursuit of solutions for a complex future.  

Recently, a team of 11 undergraduate students at Waterloo participated in Canada’s first microgravity research competition for students, the Canadian Reduced Gravity Experiment Design Challenge (CAN-RGX), where they presented their research at the Canadian Space Agency headquarters in Longueuil, Quebec and won the Overall Excellence Award. 

The University of Waterloo was founded to inspire and empower the next generation. With a commitment to bettering humanity and our planet, Waterloo is at the forefront of connecting the next generation of leaders to programs that will inspire the next gamut of solutions for us to thrive in a complex future. 

The Summer 2024 Velocity Pitch Competition saw a big turnout for the eight finalist teams who showcased their innovative solutions in front of a live audience and a panel of judges.

On July 25, the University of Waterloo community rallied around the final teams, vying for more than $20,000 in grants. The startups — Automax AI, Brewtrack, ComedySet, Doro, InnSight, MyPharmacist, PyroGuard, and Talk & Order — each delivered a three-minute pitch about their startup and path to market.

A group of international and local researchers gathered at the University of Waterloo for the 2024 NSERC CREATE Training Program for Graduate Students in Scalable 2D-Materials Architectures.  

Dubbed the “2D-MATURE summer school”, this interdisciplinary seminar led by Dr. Michael Pope, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, engaged 53 researchers in a collaborative program focused on leveraging 2D materials for advanced manufacturing applications.  

Dr. Raouf Boutaba, a university professor and director of the Cheriton School of Computer Science, has been appointed the inaugural Rogers Chair in Network Automation.

Boutaba is an internationally recognized expert in the management of resources, systems and services in both wired and wireless networks. His current research applications encompass a range of novel technologies, including network virtualization, software-defined networking, cloud and edge computing, 5G and beyond mobile communications networks and cybersecurity.

Warming temperatures mean shorter ice seasons in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut. As a result, the stretches of landfast ice formed from frozen seawater that Inuit use to travel and hunt on are increasingly unpredictable and unsafe.  

Polynyas, areas of open water and thin ice, occur where ocean currents or wind prevent pack ice from forming. They’re typically found in the same locations each year enabling travellers to plan their routes safely. But climate change is affecting this predictability, causing smaller, unexpected polynyas that make travelling across the pack ice risky.  

Strawberries could be fewer and more expensive because of higher temperatures caused by climate change, according to research from the University of Waterloo.  

Ceragen, a startup that optimizes fruit and vegetable production, has raised US$2 million in a seed funding round that will help expand its operations and develop its technology in additional countries.  

The startup, based out of Velocity, University of Waterloo’s startup incubator, develops soil microbes that aid in the growth of fruit and vegetables grown in greenhouses. The financing round was co-led by Divergent Capital and existing investor 1517 Fund, with participation from Ajira Ventures. 

On Saturday, July 6, nearly two hundred students gathered for an ask-me-anything event with Vitalik Buterin, the co-creator of the Ethereum blockchain and a former University of Waterloo student.