Empowering Students, Fostering Innovation

Abstract

Collaborations between industry and higher education institutions (HEIs) are vital for promoting innovation and economic development. This collaboration, known as the 'Triple Helix' includes industry, government and HEIs, emphasizing the essential role of HEIs in fostering innovation by bringing together academia, government, and industry. This chapter explores the role of innovation centers within HEIs. Authors draw attention to Seneca Polytechnic's Innovation Center and HELIX, an innovation and entrepreneurship incubator. Seneca is committed to preparing students for tomorrow's job market, and this led to the creation of Seneca's HELIX; an incubation for innovation, entrepreneurship, and experiential learning, providing resources, mentoring, industry-specific support, an acceleration strand for entrepreneurs and microgrants. The success of Seneca Polytechnic demonstrates how important these centers are in HEIs. They help to ignite innovation, deepen student engagement, foster cross-collaboration between industry and academia, and improve teaching and learning.