For faculty

The McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO) supports researchers at McMaster and our affiliated hospitals, including Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, by evaluating inventions, discoveries and copyright materials to assess their commercial potential. 

MILO secures intellectual property protection, through patents, copyright, trademark and other means to protect and enhance research discoveries. It identifies industry receptors or investors who can support further development and commercialization of these discoveries. MILO also assists with the creation of spin-off companies by connecting researchers with industry representatives, early-stage investors, management and other service providers. 

For faculty

McMaster Entrepreneurship Academy is focused on introducing mechanisms to inspire, support and reward researchers and students working toward entrepreneurship and commercialization. The goal is to fill the gaps that currently exist in entrepreneur support, multidisciplinary matchmaking, access to lab space and mentorship.  

The academy includes a professor entrepreneurship fellowship which releases faculty who have started a company from teaching one course. Meanwhile, a matchmaking initiative will connect teams from across campus who will compete in a pitch-style competition for $75,000+ in funding. The academy also has lab space available for startup companies at a flat rate for one year to allow companies to develop prototypes and proof-of-concepts. A mentorship program through the academy provides McMaster entrepreneurs with mentors from the global community of innovators and industry leaders. 

For students and faculty

MACcelerate is a unique startup incubator launched by McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine Waterloo Regional Campus. Based at Communitech in downtown Kitchener, MACcelerate brings medical professionals and aspiring practitioners together with engineers and entrepreneurs to redefine the future of health care and enhance clinical outcomes.  

McMaster’s Waterloo Region campus has long been an incubator for health research and innovation, focusing on areas such as health technology, mental health and care for older adults. MACcelerate is strategically located in the Waterloo region ecosystem of innovation and commercialization. 

For students

McMaster’s Minor in Entrepreneurship gives students from any faculty the opportunity to begin their entrepreneurial journey in their first year and build their capabilities throughout their undergraduate experience.

Through hands-on courses in opportunity discovery, venture building, validation, growth and leadership, students learn to identify meaningful problems, develop and test solutions and turn promising ideas into ventures with real-world impact.

Designed for incoming first-year students from across McMaster, the minor offers a progressive pathway from early exploration to venture creation and growth.

For students and faculty

The Innovation Factory is a not-for-profit business accelerator and a regional innovation centre, serving as a catalyst for technology innovation in the Greater Hamilton Area. It works to elevate key industry sectors including advanced manufacturing, clean tech, information technology, smart transportation, life sciences and health care, and social innovations. The Innovation Factory provides business services, training, mentorship and strategic connections for entrepreneurs bringing new ideas to market or those scaling a business trying to get to the next level.

For students and faculty

The Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton is focused on the growth of research and innovation within St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and across St. Joseph’s Health System.

The Research Institute supports the work of more than 700 researchers, staff members, postdoctoral fellows and learners in their clinical, translational, evaluative and fundamental research endeavours. It facilitates more than $45 million in research annually and manage more than 77,000-square-feet of dedicated research space.

The Research Institute and the hospital have a long and celebrated history of impactful research, which continues to improve diagnostics, care and treatment for patients in the community and across the globe.