Entrepreneurship

Global and individual health care is experiencing disruption through a variety of technologies. Building disruptive technologies is at the core of what we do, and since our inception, the University of Waterloo has also been disrupting the boundaries of health.

Explore just some of the health-tech innovations springing up from the University’s ecosystem that we will be keeping an eye on this year.

Navigating the world safely can be a major challenge for people with vision impairments. One award-winning new invention aims to change that, while another aims to diagnose a common eye disease earlier, potentially preventing vision loss in the first place. 

The year 2023 has unfolded with a dynamic blend of challenges and opportunities, offering us a fresh page to write the story of our University of Waterloo community.

As we embark towards 2024, we can reflect with pride on the continued dedication and achievements of our students, alumni, researchers and staff — all of whom have played an integral role in shaping on-campus initiatives, global events and cutting-edge education and research.

These trending stories highlight just some of the community’s profound impact on our collective future.

Two University of Waterloo departments earned recognition on the international stage last week in the United Arab Emirates.  

Both Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) and WatSPEED earned honours at the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Reimagine Education Conference Awards held in Abu Dhabi at Khalifa University.  

Known as the “Oscars of education”, the awards recognize innovative approaches that enhance student learning outcomes and employability.  Award categories include the future of learning, future of universities, future of work and sustainability education.   

When we think of the many contributions that young Canadians make to environmental issues, our minds naturally turn to youth activism – to the energy, the anger and the vision that young people articulate and was in sharp focus during COP28, this year’s annual United Nations climate conference. But I have seen a different side of youth leadership in the environmental space, one based on entrepreneurship and innovation which is often overlooked by our global community.  

Practical and scalable quantum computers are still in the early stages of development, and many technical challenges need to be overcome before they can be widely used for various applications. Researchers and companies globally, as well as right here at the University of Waterloo, are diligently pushing the boundaries of quantum computing technology, driving forward innovations in this emerging field.

A shared interest in sports inspired a University of Waterloo professor and undergraduate student to design a new spinal implant that could help improve neck mobility and mitigate surgical complications.

Detecting a deadly tumor as early as possible is vital to stopping its spread. However, creating the solution doesn’t necessarily solve the problem — it needs to be widely adopted by medical professionals. That’s why standards like the new IEC 62220-2-1: 2023 Medical electrical equipment – Characteristics of digital X-ray imaging devices are so important.  

As more high potential startups grow out of university research, it’s critical to understand how government, industry and academia can align to accelerate commercialization. 

The School of Public Health Sciences (SPHS) has partnered with United College’s GreenHouse and the Centre for Career Development (CDD) to offer Health Sciences students an experiential learning opportunity in HLTH 480, a new required course that will address complex health problems like climate anxiety, kidney disease prevention and management, addiction recovery and more.