Celebrating HIR Technology: How Industry Partnerships and Commercialization Programming Turn Innovation into Impact

Decades after navigating the commercialization process for the first time, University of Guelph professor Dr. Bonnie Mallard reflects on how industry partnerships and commercialization programming help bring new ideas to the global market.

The journey of High Immune Response (HIR) technology from idea to commercial impact took decades and relied on a portfolio of funding and services to bring the multi-million-dollar idea to market. 

Through a strong partnership with Semex and commercialization programs and services at U of G—including the Research Innovation Office—Mallad’s HIR technology demonstrates the impact of sustained investment in innovation pathways.

With the patent recently expired, HIR technology underscores the economic return on investing in research. By enabling industry uptake and global deployment, research contributes to increased productivity, competitiveness, and export potential in the agri-food sector.

Impact takeaways:

• 30 years of research
• 80+ countries
• 30% fewer instances of disease

Read the full story: Bringing a Made-in-Guelph Livestock Technology to the Global Market