Canada’s colleges have been at the forefront of innovation across all of Canada’s most important economic sectors for decades. However, these institutions remain significantly under-utilized by both public and private enterprises when developing new technologies. Genomics and synthetic biology represent massive opportunities for Canada’s economy, and colleges are ready to help in developing these technologies for the market as well as training the workforce needed to support them, with increasing capacity and capability in these areas. This panel, focusing on the work of 4 Canadian colleges in the areas of applied research and training, will highlight how these institutions can take your research and/or business to the next level through collaboration, access to funding, and HQP development.