Sept. 8, 2026, Toronto — Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) has announced a two-year partnership with Mitacs, with the partners working together to integrate qualified students and graduates into industry-led advanced manufacturing R&D projects across Canada. The expanded collaboration builds on a 2022 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support pre-commercial innovation projects by matching interns and graduates with industry partners and academic support. Supporting 60 internships over two years across Canada and representing $600K to $1.2M in award value, this partnership takes a strategic approach to talent development in innovation projects, addressing sector-wide specialized skills shortages and strengthening commercialization outcomes. “Through this important partnership with NGen, Mitacs is doing what we do best: connecting Canada’s most talented students with the companies driving advanced manufacturing forward,” said Stephen Lucas, chief executive officer of Mitacs, in a media release. “By strengthening collaborative R&D, the partnership will help Canadian technologies reach global markets faster and help build a future-ready workforce that meets industry needs and supports Canada’s economic growth and competitiveness.” To date, NGEN has supported more than 200 collaborative R&D projects mainly with small- and medium-sized enterprises, focused on technologies such as AI, robotics, sustainable manufacturing, advanced materials and space technologies. Mitacs has delivered nearly 2,000 advanced manufacturing innovation projects, representing over $135M in R&D investment and engaging more than 1,000 enterprise partners since 2018, demonstrating the strength of Canada’s talent-driven innovation ecosystem. “NGen is proud to collaborate with Mitacs to connect emerging talent with the companies driving Canada’s most ambitious advanced manufacturing projects. This partnership directly supports companies by giving them access to the highly skilled students and graduates they need to accelerate R&D, strengthen commercialization outcomes and scale new technologies,” said Jayson Myers, president and chief executive officer of NGen, in a press statement. “By supporting more than 60 internships nationwide, we are helping the build of the next generation of innovators who will shape Canada’s leadership in AI, robotics, sustainable manufacturing, and other transformative technologies.”