Collaboration with college to strengthen entrepreneurial ventures

A collaboration between the University of Windsor’s Entrepreneurship, Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre) and the Genesis Centre at St. Clair College will create opportunities to connect the varying skill sets of students at both institutions. 

EPICentre encourages entrepreneurship on campus and supports students and graduates interested in launching their own businesses. It will take over the Genesis Centre’s offices to create a location at the college—EPIC Genesis— which will provide co-working and event space.

UWindsor president Alan Wildeman says the new relationship will further opportunities for entrepreneurship in the region. “St. Clair College faculty, students and alumni will add a new dimension to the innovative activities taking place in EPICentre,” he says.

The collaboration will reduce duplication of efforts by the two schools, says Patti France, president of St. Clair College. “The opportunity for our students to work with the students and staff of the university—and their students and staff to work with the college’s—means that entrepreneurs will have access to the cutting-edge expertise of both institutions,” she says. “The university was well-positioned to be the lead agency in this particular partnership, and we’ll continue to explore other opportunities to jointly assist the students of both institutions.”

The addition is the third EPICentre location: EPIC Innovation in the Joyce Entrepreneurship Centre provides incubation and co-working space; the EPIC Industrial Hub in the Centre for Engineering Innovation provides equipment and incubation space for startups and collaboration space for industry.

Facilities and programs are available to students and recent alumni of either institution. For more information, visit the EPICentre website, www.epicentreuwindsor.ca