The Myhal Centre Is Made for New Ideas

Here are six ways the Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship on St. George Street will help cultivate tomorrow’s startups. The project has raised more than $26 million from many alumni and friends, including a $5-million gift from George Myhal (BASc 1978) $1-million commitments from the Engineering Society and several others. The Government of Ontario has also invested $15-million, in recognition of the facility’s role as an economic driver of innovation.

1. With movable tables and screens visible from every direction, 16 technology-enhanced active learning rooms and design/meeting rooms can be rearranged at a moment’s notice into any required configuration.

2. Building prototypes and other physical models is one of the biggest challenges of getting a new business off the ground. A rapid-prototyping facility with 3-D printers will make this much easier.

3. Several world-leading research institutes and centres will pursue innovation in such areas as sustainable energy, robotics and global engineering.

4. In a state-of-the-art lecture theatre, students will be seated at tables fitted with microphones and audiovisual inputs that allow them to send digital content – anything from snippets of code to video – to the room’s large screen and powerful audio system.

5. A versatile space will allow engineering students to collaborate on group projects and other activities associated with 100 faculty clubs, such as the Human Powered Vehicle Design Team.

6. The Entrepreneurship Hatchery provides teams of engineering students with the space, equipment, mentoring and funding connections they need to develop their own venture.