Ottawa And IBM Invest Nearly $6-Million In UNB Research Centre
FREDERICTON – The federal government and IBM announced Tuesday that they are investing nearly $6-million at the University of New Brunswick’s Centre for Advanced Studies to develop state-of-the-art “runtime systems” that control a computer’s workflow and functionality.
Dr. Ken Kent of the Centre for Advanced Studies-Atlantic says the work being done at UNB has broad applications in our personal and work lives.
“Computers are now everywhere from smartphones to watches and automobiles,” said Kent in a release. “A huge part of the utility of these devices comes from their connections to each other and to the cloud. Working with IBM we are developing next-generation tools and ideas to help build software systems with more functionality, better security, and lower cost.”
The project is expected to create up to 25 new research and development positions.
Allen Lalonde, Senior Innovation Executive of the IBM Canada Research and Development Centre, says it will strengthen the region’s growing information and communications technology (ICT) sector and create a pool of highly skilled professionals.
“The work being done by UNB and IBM through the Centre for Advanced Studies – Atlantic stands to benefit our entire region, strengthening our partnerships with global companies and cultivating a spirit of innovation,” said Lalonde.
“The skills being developed are highly specialized and sought after, and will help us to grow New Brunswick’s information and communications technology sector, which has been identified as critical to the growth of our economy. Having a pool of highly qualified professionals working in our region will help us to position New Brunswick as a leader in emerging and innovative technologies.”
The federal government is providing a non-repayable contribution of $2,998,054 to this initiative under ACOA’s Atlantic Innovation Fund. IBM contributed $2,656,000. The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation is also contributing $75,000.
The centre will use the investment to develop new and augment existing runtime software that will be of use to IBM and other global companies. The system being developed constitutes the core platform for all five of IBM’s major software brands and is the base software implementation platform for thousands of companies using IBM’s or other managed runtimes.
“The work being done by UNB and IBM through the Centre for Advanced Studies – Atlantic stands to benefit our entire region, strengthening our partnerships with global companies and cultivating a spirit of innovation,” said Matt DeCourcey, Member of Parliament for Fredericton and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Cathy Simpson, Board Chair of the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, says the foundation’s investment makes it easier to recruit and train a skilled workforce.
“It will contribute significantly to industry-wide advancements, and equip New Brunswick institutions like UNB to better compete on a global scale when it comes attracting world-class talent for cutting-edge research,” she said.