Trailblazing student teams at Ontario Tech University are turning bold ideas into health innovation through the university’s Brilliant Catalyst “Catalyst Challenge” hackathon – a work-integrated learning initiative that gives students an authentic path from concept to commercialization. In 12 days, participants addressed sustainability and health challenges, working under mentorship to refine ideas, validate solutions and pitch to expert judges.
This experiential model immerses students in entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary collaboration. Rather than passively observing, they engage in ideation, prototype development, business modeling, and public pitching – skills increasingly in demand across biotechnology, health tech, and life sciences industries. Through support from the Brilliant Catalyst incubator, teams can further develop promising solutions post-challenge.
Through the integration of research, education and partnerships, The Catalyst Challenge demonstrates how universities can connect academia, industry, and community to create sustainable, real-world health care solutions.
For more information, visit Ontario Tech University.
