SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Find the most recent Gazette stories for this goal here.

Teaching and Learning:

• Opened in 2021, Memorial's Core Science Facility is a sophisticated research and teaching building with laboratory teaching spaces, adaptable shell space for university and industry collaborations, offices, and meeting rooms. Housing primarily the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, the new building also contributes to research collaboration amongst departments.
• In 2020, Memorial signed a 5-year agreement with Nigeria’s National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) pledging to increase its research collaborations and attract more high-quality graduate students from West Africa. The agreement includes activities such as the exchange of faculty members, publications and research materials, as well as the development of joint initiatives and collaborative degree programs with partner institutions.
• Memorial offers a Master of Business Administration in Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (MBA-SEE) with courses on social innovation, sustainable capitalism, and enterprises’ social impact on communities and environments.
• Through the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Memorial offers a Communications Engineering diploma which includes digital, wireless and mobile communication courses. The Faculty also offers a Master of Applied Sciences in Environmental Systems Engineering and Management that focuses on cost-effective engineering solutions related to environmental issues dealing with human health and ecosystem protection.
• The Marine Institute offers courses in sustainability, environmental responsibility, and technological innovation and development. The courses address global issues such as climate change and carbon trading, and the process and implementation of innovations in new, established, small or large organizations.

Research:

• Significant investments in infrastructure have been made at Memorial to support world-class research and development including the Atlantic Canada Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry Centre, the Core Research Equipment and Instrument Training Network, the Harsh Environment Research Facility (HERF), the Animal Resource Centre, the Centre for Research and Innovation in Corner Brook, the Launch in Holyrood, and a seafloor observatory in Conception Bay.
• Memorial is at the forefront of research on quality, reliable, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure including infrastructure design to ensure resilience to climate change impacts on bridges, culverts and other flooding-related issues; enhance equity, diversity and inclusion in ocean and coastal infrastructures; and improve the asphalt used in St. John's.

Public Engagement:

• Memorial works closely with partners to develop infrastructure to support economic development and human well-being, including the Regional Aquatic Centre at the Grenfell Campus, boat building and fishing stages in Petty Harbour, and the Labrador Campus.
• In 2021, a Memorial alumna named Mirella Leis created The Fish Market, a mobile app that connects fish harvesters to consumers to facilitate the purchase of fresh fish and seafood. The app helps increase access to locally caught seafood, contributes to food sovereignty, and aids in maintaining the sustainability of the fishery.

Administration:

• In 2022, Memorial announced that they will be shifting buildings from primarily oil-fueled heating systems to systems primarily powered by clean electricity from the province’s vastly renewable hydroelectric grid. It is anticipated that there will be a reduction in fuel consumption of 10.5 million litres of fuel each year, a reduction of 80–85 percent.
• In 2021, Memorial announced that it was developing an Innovation Strategy to outline ways Memorial can enhance its support of the many facets of innovation, including innovation programming, social and cultural innovation, entrepreneurship and innovation-driven research.
• During the 2010s, Memorial saw significant investment in both buildings and information technology infrastructure while recognizing the importance of the sustainability of its resources. This includes the opening of a new Faculty of Medicine building on the St. John’s campus, the launching of the Signal Hill Campus and the Boreal Ecosystem Research Facility at Grenfell Campus, and renovations to both the Queen Elizabeth II Library and the Internationalization Office.