Industry Projects
From 2022 - 2023, Careers & Experience and TechAlliance received funding from the Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) to develop a series of short-term industry projects, or microplacements, in undergraduate courses where students were presented with challenges by local organizations.
6 courses
15 industry partners
1,862 students
Read the 2022 Western News article READ THE 2023 TECHALLIANCE ARTICLE
Courses, Challenges and Industry Partners
Marketing Research (MOS 3420, Bonnie Simpson)
Reya Health
Challenge: How should Reya Health market their birth control matching and tracking app to new users?
Geography of Tourism (Geography 2144B, Wes Kinghorn)
Proof Line Farm
Challenge: How can Proof Line Farm create an engaging tourist experience on their farm? How could one of their products form the basis of a regional brand and spark the growth of other agricultural business in London and surrounding area?
Industrial Psychology (Psychology 2660, Blair Evans)
Canada Life
Challenge: How can Canada Life utilize research from the field of organizational psychology to inform changes in job design and better understand the outcome of changes to roles?
Philosophy of Food (Philosophy 2082, Benjamin Hill)
Forest City Microgreens
Challenge: How can Forest City Microgreens, an indoor farm in downtown London, advance their marketing strategy to reach new audiences and potential subscribers?
Introduction to Engineering
(Engineering Science 1050, John Dickinson)
Various Partners
Challenge: Design a solution to improve the lives of the aging, impaired, and their caregivers.
Solutions included:
- Aquafit aids for low impact physical activity
- Phone warmer to keep phone in operable temperature range in winter climate conditions for individuals with physical disabilities
- Treat dispenser to help individuals with physical disabilities provide treats to their pets
- Solution to slippery floors in hospital showers
- Medicine dosing device for individuals with visual impairment
Research Methods for the Digital Age
(MIT 2025B, Melissa Adler)
Wilma Technologies Inc.
Challenge: How can Wilma reach target audience segments to promote their ride hail service and convert them to loyal users?
mindyourmind
Challenge: How can mindyourmind evaluate the efficacy of their new Be Safe app with users?
Alice Saddy Foundation
Challenge: How can the Alice Saddy Foundation increase awareness of their Community Inclusion Fund?
Reimagine Co.
Challenge: How can Reimagine Co. communicate to existing and potential customers that they have changed from a brick-and-mortar store to an online-only retail model?
Hutton House
Challenge: How can Hutton House increase awareness and engagement of people with disabilities in their Urban Agriculture Program PATCH program?
About our project partners
TechAlliance of Southwestern Ontario
Supporting the most promising startups and fastest growing tech companies, TechAlliance empowers world-class ventures and fuels growth in the Canadian innovation economy. Their mission is to champion, coach and amplify businesses, creating a vibrant technology community.
Business + Higher Education Roundtable
The Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization bringing together some of Canada's largest companies and leading post-secondary institutions. Since 2015, BHER has worked to harness the strengths of Canada's business and post-secondary education sectors to build opportunities for young Canadians, boost innovation and drive collaboration. Western joined BHER in March 2021 and President Alan Shepard represents Western at the roundtable.
These industry projects were made possible in partnership with the Business + Higher Education Roundtable, and with support from the Government of Canada.
