McMaster Digital Transformation Research Centre (MDTRC)

What McMaster Digital Transformation Research Centre (MDTRC) does

The center serves academic researchers, industry partners, public-sector agencies, and community organizations through collaborative research agreements, research contracts, and lab/equipment bookings, with named enterprise clients including FutureVault and Home Health Systems. Its flagship research program, EMPOWrD (Enhancing Mobility and Participation for Older Adult Wellness through Digital Inclusion), spans six research dimensions focused on digital inclusion for older adults. MDTRC also supports executive and graduate education, including DeGroote's Executive MBA in Digital Transformation, and co-hosts the annual Digital Futures Symposium with Smith School of Business (Queen's) and Ivey Business School (Western). The center does not sell a product; revenue mechanics consist of grant funding from major Canadian research bodies (CFI, ORF-RI, SSHRC, NSERC, Ontario Centres of Innovation, MIRA), institutional support from DeGroote, and contract research with industry and community partners.

Name

McMaster Digital Transformation Research Centre (MDTRC)

Legal name

McMaster Digital Transformation Research Centre

Website

https://mdtrc.mcmaster.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MDTRC is a McMaster University research center that studies digital transformation using neurophysiological tools (eye tracking, EEG, physiological sensors, mixed reality) and serves academic, industry, public-sector, and community collaborators through research agreements, grants, and contract studies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Research Grants: Primary funding from major Canadian research funding bodies including Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Ontario Research Fund - Research Infrastructure (ORF-RI), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
2. Contract Research: Collaborative research agreements and contracts with public, private, and not-for-profit sector partners. Organizations can utilize research infrastructure for their own use or collaborate on joint research projects. Some projects eligible for additional grant body funding.
3. Institutional Support: Supported by DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University. Additional support from McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) and Ontario Centres of Innovation.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MDTRC is a university research centre that conducts multidisciplinary research on digital transformation, providing academic and industry partners with access to neurophysiological research laboratories and collaborative research services. It offers lab-based and mobile field experiments using eye tracking, EEG, physiological sensors, and facial expression analysis, alongside the EMPOWrD program on digital inclusion for older adults, executive and graduate education, and an annual Digital Futures Symposium.

Product overview

The MDTRC is an interdisciplinary research center at McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business. Its core offerings consist of specialized research laboratories (Evidence Based Decision Making Labs, Reconfigurable User Experience Lab, Focus Group Room, and Mobile User Experience Lab) equipped with neurophysiological measurement technologies including eye tracking, electroencephalography (EEG), physiological measures (heart rate, skin conductance, respiration, EMG), live facial expression analysis, and mixed reality tools. Supporting services include collaborative research with academic and industry partners, a participant research pool, executive/graduate education programs (including the EMBA in Digital Transformation), and the annual Digital Futures Symposium co-hosted with Queen's and Western universities. The flagship research program is EMPOWrD, a major multidisciplinary initiative focused on digital inclusion for older adults spanning six research dimensions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EMPOWrD: Enhancing Mobility and Participation for Older Adult Wellness through Digital Inclusion - a major research program focused on bridging digital divides for older adults.
• MUXL
• Evidence Based Decision Making Labs
• Reconfigurable User Experience Lab
• Focus Group Room

Products and services

• NeuroIS Research Labs State-of-the-art research laboratories equipped with neurophysiological measurement tools (eye tracking, EEG, physiological sensors, facial expression analysis) for studying human-computer interaction and digital transformation phenomena using both traditional behavioral methods and non-invasive neurophysiological tools. Available to academic and industry research partners.
• Mobile User Experience Lab (MUXL) A one-of-a-kind mobile laboratory housed in a vehicle that transports full MDTRC research infrastructure to participants in natural settings in the field, removing inclusion and accessibility barriers for underrepresented populations typically difficult to recruit or discouraged from participating in lab studies.
• EMPOWrD (Enhancing Mobility and Participation for Older Adult Wellness through Digital Inclusion) A major multidisciplinary research program bringing together engineering, health sciences, social sciences, and business expertise to create inclusive digital solutions for aging populations. Features six research dimensions covering misinformation, tech clubs for dementia, mobile digital literacy training, pain neuroscience education, smart gerontechnology living labs, and adaptable software for older adults.
• Collaborative Research Services Research collaboration services offering organizations access to MDTRC's multidisciplinary research team, state-of-the-art lab infrastructure, and potential grant funding eligibility. Supports research agreements and research contracts across academia, industry, not-for-profit, and public sectors.
• Research Participant Pool A database of research participants who have consented to be contacted about MDTRC studies. Individuals join through the ethics consent form, and participants are typically compensated for their time.
• Executive and Graduate Education Programs MDTRC supports executive and graduate educational programs including DeGroote's Executive MBA in Digital Transformation, providing training that empowers managers, employees, and students to effectively manage and lead digital transformation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dr. Milena Head has 160+ publications in top journals and conferences
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ABC Life Literacy CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Non-profit organization focused on adult literacy and skills development. Executive Director Alison Howard spoke at Digital Skills Training Townhall 2025. Represents partnership for digital inclusion initiatives.
• Connected CanadiansminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Non-profit delivering digital literacy workshops for older adults both in-person and online. Janice Greenberg supports workshop development and mentor training. Partnership for technology mentorship research.
• Toronto Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Nan Davies, Manager of Learning and Community Engagement, spoke at Digital Skills Training Townhall 2025. Partnership for digital literacy research and workforce development initiatives.
• Sheridan Centre for Elder ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Lia Tsotsos, Director of Research and Innovation, spoke at Digital Skills Training Townhall 2025. Partnership for elder research and technology studies.
• McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIRA provides major funding and strategic support for EMPOWrD program focused on digital inclusion for older adults. MIRA's investment enables interdisciplinary exploration of how technology can foster mobility, social participation, and digital inclusion among older adults.
• MIRA | Dixon Hall CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between McMaster Institute for Research on Aging and Dixon Hall focusing on reducing loneliness and fostering meaningful community connections for older adults. Jointly hosts Digital Skills Training Townhall events.
• Hamilton Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey community partner for digital literacy training research. Hamilton Public Library leads Android tablet training for marginalized older adults living in social housing. Kat Drennan-Scace, Manager of Digital Technology Services, serves as EMPOWrD Advisory Team member.
• Dixon HallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization for research on digital literacy training programs for marginalized older adults. Located in Toronto's downtown east, engaged in community-based research and knowledge mobilization.
• CityHousing HamiltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing housing context for digital literacy research with older adults in social housing. Participates in community-based studies and action research approaches for technology training.
• DeGroote School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDTRC is housed within and primarily supported by the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. Provides institutional infrastructure, faculty support, and administrative resources.
• Smith School of Business (Queen's University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of annual Digital Futures Symposium together with Ivey Business School (Western). Symposium facilitates collaboration between industry and academia to advance Canada's global position in digital futures.
• Ivey Business School (Western University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of annual Digital Futures Symposium together with Smith School of Business (Queen's). Symposium creates forum for academia and industry to explore digital transformation technologies, data, AI, and evolving business models.
• South East Technological University (SETU), IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. P.J. White serves as Adjunct Member through MIRA, bringing international design research expertise on aging populations. Represents international academic partnership in EMPOWrD research.
• McMaster Collaborative for Health AgingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoo Chan Carusone, Managing Director of McMaster Collaborative for Health Aging, serves as EMPOWrD Advisor. Mixed methods researcher with expertise in academic-community partnership research.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• iMotions: Commercial biometric research platform offering integrated tools for eye tracking, EEG, GSR, facial coding, and EMG analysis. Provides the same neurophysiological measurement modalities that MDTRC operates in-house, and represents the commercial equivalent path for the same research methodology MDTRC offers through academic partnerships.
• Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society: Harvard University research center exploring cyberlaw, digital ethics, and technology's societal impact. Comparable academic research mission on digital transformation implications for people and organizations, with industry and policy engagement analogous to MDTRC's model.
• MIT Center for Information Systems Research (CISR): MIT Sloan research center studying how firms use digital platforms and IT to achieve competitive advantage. Funded through industry-sponsored research with multinational firms, parallel to MDTRC's model of industry-funded contract research at a top business school.
• Stanford Digital Economy Lab: Stanford HAI-affiliated research initiative studying the digital economy through interdisciplinary academic research with industry partners. Directly comparable mission of producing rigorous evidence-based research on digital transformation, similar to MDTRC's value proposition.
• MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy: Academic research initiative at MIT Sloan studying how digital technologies are transforming business, government, and society. Highly comparable as an academic-industry collaboration model focused on digital transformation research, parallel to MDTRC's positioning at McMaster's DeGroote School of Business.
• Oxford Internet Institute: University of Oxford multidisciplinary research department studying social implications of internet and digital technologies. Comparable academic research model producing rigorous evidence on digital transformation impacts on individuals and society, similar to MDTRC's interdisciplinary approach.

Others

• Tobii: Swedish technology company and global leader in eye tracking hardware and software. Provides the underlying eye tracking technology used in research labs including MDTRC's; functions as a key infrastructure supplier to the same research ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.
• BIOPAC Systems: Provider of physiological monitoring hardware and software for life science research, including the Research Ring and high-density fNIRs with EEG systems demonstrated in MDTRC's January 2025 workshop. Functions as a technology partner and supplier rather than a direct research competitor.
• McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA): McMaster University institute that provides major funding and strategic support for MDTRC's EMPOWrD program on older adult digital inclusion. Functions as a related McMaster research institute with overlapping thematic focus, currently positioned as a strategic partner and funder rather than a peer research provider.

Broad incumbents

• Nielsen Norman Group: Established UX research and consulting firm offering usability testing, user research, and training services globally. Broader incumbent in the user experience research space where MDTRC also operates, but NN/g focuses on applied UX consulting rather than academic neurophysiological research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mdtrc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about McMaster Digital Transformation Research Centre (MDTRC)