The Waterloo Region AI Coalition (WRAIC) bring innovators, businesses and non-profits together 
to turn AI potential into real productivity— keeping talent and opportunity in Waterloo Region.

AI@WORK Explore resources
AI Adoption

Deploy a custom AI tool built for your business

Move beyond the theoretical. Communitech’s AI@WORK program bridges the gap between wanting to adopt AI and actually deploying it. Communitech helps facilitate the technical talent and expert oversight needed to build a custom agentic AI solution tailored to your business.

How it works:

  • Bridging the Talent Gap: We pair your company with post-secondary students from the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier and Conestoga College.
  • Expert Mentorship: Projects are guided by industry-leading AI experts to ensure your new tool is secure, ethical, and technically sound.
  • Rapid Deployment: Focus on solving a specific business challenge—from automating workflows to predictive maintenance—and get a functional tool into production faster.
  • Cost-Effective Innovation: Access specialized technical talent at a fraction of the cost of traditional hiring or consulting.

For: Waterloo Region based SMEs: Companies with fewer than 500 employees.

Key Industries: Specifically designed for businesses operating in traditional sectors including construction, manufacturing, and healthcare.

Ready to start building?

Apply for AI@WORK

Who we are

The Waterloo Region AI Coalition (WRAIC) was established to serve as the central, collaborative platform coordinating our region's AI adoption ecosystem.

What we do

The Waterloo Region AI Coalition (WRAIC) unites the community to make AI adoption accessible, collaborative and impactful across our region. We amplify existing efforts, facilitate connections, identify and fill gaps and ensure Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and non-profits can access the support they need.

Awareness

Building understanding and confidence. Master essential tools and frameworks to model business growth and scale your strategy.

Talent

Deploying skills and supporting organizations. We'll bridge the gap between AI knowledge and implementation by mobilizing our region's brightest minds.

Enablement

Exploring the foundation for sustained AI leadership. We'll explore technology infrastructure and platforms enabling rapid, scalable AI adoption.

About the coalition

The Waterloo Region AI Coalition (WRAIC) framework was developed to address Canada's lagging productivity by positioning Waterloo Region as the country's AI adoption powerhouse. WRAIC positions Waterloo Region as the "playbook" for widespread, community-level AI adoption in Canada—a replicable model that empowers our workforce, strengthens our society and accelerates economic competitiveness.

See our members

Frequently asked questions

The Coalition's work is specifically designed to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and non-profits that face the biggest barriers to adoption.

We will focus on the practical: We'll provide information and education to help you see tangible, proven examples of what AI can do for a business like yours.

You don't need to be an expert: We can help you identify a starting point through support and guidance and potentially connect you with AI Talent to support a small, practical project. The philosophy is to "crawl, walk, run" — start small with quick wins to build momentum.

We act as the connector that coordinates all the existing AI work happening across the region. We make sure the entire AI ecosystem works together as an integrated force, maximizing the effectiveness of everyone's contributions.

We are always looking for those interested in getting involved with the coalition. Get connected here. 

We eliminate the complexity by offering practical guidance and simple, proven examples in a local context. We focus on the business objectives you can achieve, not just the technology itself. Our AI education helps leaders to get started, ensuring you understand AI's potential and how to use it responsibly.

In addition, we leverage local AI talent — including students — to offer hands-on support to SMEs and non-profits, helping you pilot solutions without the immediate cost of a permanent hire.