Big Data Takes A Big Step In Ottawa Thanks To New Applied Research Centre
Posted on Monday, June 12th, 2017
OTTAWA — Companies in Ottawa seeking support with big data technologies now have a new resource, thanks to funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Algonquin College.
Algonquin College today formally announced that it will receive $2.3 million over five years ($460,000 per year) to fund a new Data Analytics Centre which will work with local and national partners to harness the power of big data for the purposes of data mining, machine learning for predictive analytics, and distributed intelligence. This initiative is the first of its kind in the Canadian college system, and will join Algonquin College’s six applied research centres under its Office of Partnerships, Applied Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship.
“In every business, having a strong understanding of your data and using it to better serve your clients is becoming increasingly important and we want to ensure our learners are equipped for success when they enter the workforce,” said Cheryl Jensen, President of Algonquin College. “We see many applications for this new centre, especially as we work to implement our strategic plan goal of becoming the leader in personalized learning among Ontario colleges. On behalf of the College, I want to thank NSERC for this investment in innovation within our community.”
On hand to mark the announcement were MP Anita Vandenbeld and Scott Smith of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
“With this technology Algonquin College will have new methods of providing applied research support to local businesses and industry. Companies will benefit from access to college expertise and resources; faculty will gain new knowledge and insights to integrate into the curriculum; college students will benefit from a real world, engineering experience,” said MP Vandenbeld, “In short, our government’s funding and this cutting edge technology will further anchor Algonquin College’s position as one of Canada’s premiere institutions.”
The funding was awarded following a successful application to NSERC’s College and Community Innovation program. Partners of Algonquin College’s centre include regional innovators such as Gnowit, Global Advantage, CHEO, Newborn Screening Ontario, Ocular Mobile Innovations, Community Ingenuity, Gymtrack, Contextere, IBM, Cumulus Dental, Paradigm Technologies, GaitTronics, RealDecoy, bitHeads, TyQuest, Discoverly, Mitel, Carleton University, The University of Ottawa, Invest Ottawa, Ontario Centers of Excellence, CANARIE, and Research Data Canada.
“NSERC is proud to support applied research and technological innovation at Canada’s colleges and CÉGEPs,” says Bettina Hamelin, Vice-President, Research Partnerships, NSERC. “The CCI program is uniquely positioned to connect colleges with industry partners, allowing companies to access state-of-the-art facilities and applied research expertise that help accelerate product development and validation, and train the next generation of talent for the 21st century job market.”
The Data Analytics Centre will be located inside the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Learning Centre once construction on that project concludes next year. This is Algonquin College’s fifth successful application to NSERC’s CCI funding program.
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For more information please contact:
Ruth Dunley
Manager, Communications
Communications, Marketing and External Relations
613-727-4723 ext. 6452
Lucy Lai
Media and Public Affairs Officer
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
613-996-2341
About Algonquin College:
The mission of Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success. Algonquin College, an Ontario public sector community college, does this by offering hands-on, digitally connected, experiential learning in more than 185 programs. Based in the Ottawa Valley, Algonquin College is the largest polytechnic institute in Eastern Ontario. Visit algonquincollege.com.
About NSERC:
NSERC invests over $1 billion each year in natural sciences and engineering research in Canada. Our investments deliver discoveries—valuable world-firsts in knowledge claimed by a brain trust of over 11,000 professors. Our investments enable partnerships and collaborations that connect industry with discoveries and the people behind them. Researcher-industry partnerships established by NSERC help inform R&D, solve scale-up challenges, and reduce the risks of developing high-potential technology.
NSERC also provides scholarships and hands-on training experience for more than 30,000 post-secondary students and post-doctoral fellows. These young researchers will be the next generation of science and engineering leaders in Canada.
1385 Woodroffe Avenue – Ottawa – Ontario – K2G 1V8
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