The Provincial Government, along with Memorial University, IBM Canada, and the Government of Canada, today launched two new initiatives at Memorial University – the Centre for Analytics, Informatics and Research and the Accelerated Analytics and Machine Learning project.
Memorial University will receive a more than $18 million investment, which includes a $16-million, in-kind investment of hardware, software and staffing from IBM during a period of four years. IBM will also provide free development and cloud credits to early stage entrepreneurs and startup companies via the Startup with IBM program. The Provincial Government is contributing $1.35 million towards the two initiatives, while the Government of Canada, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, is contributing $1.4 million.
Led by Memorial, Centre for Analytics, Informatics and Research and the Accelerated Analytics and Machine Learning initiatives will focus on innovation and research in such diverse fields as data science and astrophysics, genetic analysis, artificial intelligence, machine learning, image analysis and scientific computing. The Centre for Analytics, Informatics and Research will be equipped with powerful high-performance computers able to process huge amounts of complex data, leading to faster insights for projects such as the Accelerated Analytics and Machine Learning.
Working with Memorial University, IBM will also help drive further economic development in the province by supporting skills growth via the IBM SkillsBuild program. The free digital training program helps learners develop valuable new skills and find jobs, regardless of their background or education. SkillsBuild provides learners with professional workplace readiness and technical skills and enables them to earn digital badges recognized by the market. Globally, IBM is committed to providing 30 million people with new skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow by 2030.
This undertaking builds on the tremendous success of the partnership first formed in 2014 between IBM, Memorial University, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada.
Quotes
“Industry has made it clear that as our innovation economy grows, there is a greater need for more highly qualified people or talent. This collaboration will provide access to high performance computing within our province, allowing for even more opportunities for researchers, industry partnerships and the start-up community to meet the growing needs of our tech sector.”
Honourable Andrew Parsons
Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology
“By investing in innovative projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, we are able to reap the awards of accessing state-of-the-art innovation and research right here at home. This important work will benefit our health care system by providing medical data technology and collection, evaluating skills gaps, as well as provide essential exploration and learning opportunities.”
Honourable John Haggie
Minister of Health and Community Services
“The Government of Canada, through ACOA, is committed to working with key partners to help build the digital economy and support long-term economic growth in this region. By investing in high-tech equipment and skills development at Memorial University, we are supporting innovative learning, advanced research and opportunities to grow the technology industry.”
Joanne Thompson
Member of Parliament for St. John’s East, on behalf of the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for ACOA
“Ongoing collaborations with our government and industry partners allow Memorial to meet the challenges and opportunities of our province and beyond. These significant investments will further enhance Memorial’s capacity in strategic areas, provide world-class scientific training opportunities for faculty and graduate students and allow Memorial to continue supporting the tremendous growth of the local technology industry.”
Dr. Vianne Timmons
President and vice-chancellor, Memorial University
“Our goal is to deliver more diverse computing services to teaching and research communities, to speed up their processes of scientific and technical innovations, and to further increase our contributions in Newfoundland and Labrador. This investment is a testimony of our continued commitment to support and collaborate with Memorial University and both levels of government to help further advance Canada’s ability to innovate, address a critical skills gap, and drive research and innovation.”
Frank Attaie
General Manager-Technology, IBM Canada
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Media contacts
Eric Humber
Industry, Energy and Technology
709-729-5777
erichumber@gov.nl.ca
Nancy Hollett
Health and Community Services
709-729-6554, 327-7878
nancyhollett@gov.nl.ca
Paul McGrath
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
709-689-5731
paul.mcgrath@acoa-apeca.gc.ca
Melissa Ennis
Centre for Analytics, Informatics and Research
709-864-6458
melissa.ennis@mun.ca
Ruhee Dhar
IBM Canada
ruhee@ibm.com