Awards and recognition
SFU named Canada’s top university for innovation in WURI global rankings for fifth year
91ĹÝÜ˝ is Canada’s top university for innovation and entrepreneurial spirit according to the (WURI) 2025 rankings.
SFU was also ranked third in Canada for industrial application and third for its responses to global challenges, based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It is the fifth consecutive year SFU has maintained the top spot for innovation in Canada, and this year the university jumped up three spots in the global ranking to place 12th in the world for innovation.
“I am proud of SFU's ongoing achievements in innovation and commitment to making a difference through academic excellence, high-impact research and wide-reaching collaboration,” says SFU president Joy Johnson. “The WURI ranking is a wonderful recognition for faculty, staff, students and community members who are finding innovative ways to address local and global challenges through entrepreneurship and social impact.”
The WURI rankings measure how universities contribute to society and highlight creative and innovative approaches to university research and education, based on 16 ranking categories.
Unlike traditional rankings that emphasize academic reputation, citations, or funding, WURI evaluates universities based on innovation in education, entrepreneurial spirit, social responsibility, industry collaboration, practical problem-solving, globalization, and adaptability to future challenges, among other criteria.
SFU’s strengths in innovation are supported through a robust ecosystem with an interdisciplinary and multi-level continuum of entrepreneurial programming and innovation support.
The recently established i2I (Invention to Innovation) Research & Innovation Institute delivers tailored entrepreneurial training programs for researchers and serves as a national centre dedicated to strengthening Canada’s innovation ecosystem. The Institute is the operational hub of the National i2I Network, established by SFU and 13 research universities and health research institutes, as well as 57 partner organizations, supported by $22.9 million in funding from NSERC.
To foster Climate Innovation, SFU helps communities adapt to and mitigate climate change through climate action research and innovation. Working with all levels of government, the university is advancing community-centred climate innovation as a critical research priority.
Core research facilities at SFU that support this goal include the SFU Clean Hydrogen Hub, a Canadian academic-industry clean energy infrastructure project to accelerate hydrogen technology innovation. SFU’s Cedar Supercomputing Centre, home to one of Canada’s most powerful academic supercomputers, is also one of the country’s most energy-efficient data centres, while accelerates the commercialization of advanced materials and nanoscale device research. They provide access to cutting-edge equipment and expertise to a wide range of users, including researchers, startups and established companies.
The innovation ecosystem at SFU has a proven track record of success, helping to launch dozens of successful companies, including global cleantech leader ; quantum technology pioneer ; and , an SFU spin-off dedicated to designing non-surgical, minimally invasive technologies to ventilate patients more safely and effectively.
“91ĹÝÜ˝ proud to be recognized by WURI as the top university in Canada for innovation and entrepreneurial spirit,” says Dugan O’Neil, vice-president research and innovation. “Our work is possible thanks to purposeful and valuable partnerships with industry, government, academia and our communities—we could not do what we do without their support. We are also very proud of our researchers for taking on and tackling the greatest challenges of our time.”
As a leading research university with global impact, SFU consistently places among the top 15 universities in Canada by major global ranking systems.
The university ranks among the world’s best when it comes to advancing the United Nation’s sustainable development goals, placing 35th overall in Times Higher Education’s (THE) 2025 Impact Rankings. THE places SFU within the top five institutions in Canada in the categories of Affordable and Clean Energy (#2), Sustainable Cities and Communities (#3), Climate Action (#3), Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (#4), and Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (#5).
91ĹÝÜ˝ consistently ranked as Canada’s top comprehensive university in Maclean’s annual rankings, a position it has held for 16 of the past 17 years.
Learn more about SFU’s university research rankings and performance.
The Government of Canada's Research Support Fund (RSF) supports innovation at SFU through funding towards innovation and commercialization activities, intellectual property, knowledge mobilization, and research facilities.