Eric Blaise is the Director of Applied Research and Innovation at Centennial College and is responsible for industry-College applied research collaborations in the field of aerospace, surface transportation and energy. He also oversees advanced manufacturing projects funded through the SONAMI network.
We asked Eric some questions so that you can get to know more about him and the work he does with SONAMI.
Why would a SME work with SONAMI?
As a business, you have limited resources (human resources, equipment, capital); working with the SONAMI partners allows SMEs to tap into that expertise, access equipment and leverage funding – all aspects that can help SMEs innovate and be competitive.
Another benefit of working with SONAMI is that SMEs can potentially access all SONAMI partners and their resources, not just one institution.
“Through targeted efforts in key sectors that are primed for sustainable growth, SONAMI will provide a critical difference in preparing local businesses and partners for success.”
– Eric Blaise for Newswire.ca
[https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/centennial-college-shares-4-million-for-research-into-smart-fabrics-and-advanced-manufacturing-826800734.html]
What are you most proud of?
I’m the proudest of having the courage to start a business and being an entrepreneur before my current role. Being an entrepreneur taught me so many things related to managing employees and customers that I still use to this day when I interact with companies. I now have a lot of respect for people taking the risks of starting their company.
What have you learned while working through the pandemic?
Taking all of Centennial College’s aerospace applied research projects remote has taught me to empower my team a lot more and allow them to make a lot more decisions without my input.