Home : Media Centre : News Releases : 2006
For Release
July 12, 2006
Corresponding Document: Speech (2006-07-12)
British Columbia Institute of Technology $507,000 to Link Research with Industry
Burnaby, British Columbia – Academia and
industry have new partnership opportunities through an investment
of $507,000 from Western Economic Diversification Canada. The British
Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) will establish two new research
and industry liaison offices to link private sector partners with
academic researchers to develop and commercialize new technology.
“Partnership between academic institutions and industry is
vital for turning world-class Canadian research into marketable
products and services,” said the Honourable Carol Skelton,
Minister of National Revenue and Minister of Western Economic Diversification.
“This initiative will increase the rate of technology commercialization
and Canada’s competitiveness in the global marketplace.”
“Western Economic Diversification Canada’s support is enabling us to build infrastructure to expand BCIT’s applied research and development capacity,” said Jim Reichert, BCIT’s Vice President of Research & International. “Polytechnics like BCIT are playing a unique role in applying, innovating, and transferring technology to solve business and industry problems. BCIT is now better able to align our internal resources to meet industry needs, including creating meaningful links between our industry clients/partners and our faculty and students.”
The British Columbia Institute of Technology will establish a new Research Services Office (RSO) and a Polytechnic Industry Liaison Office (PILO). The new RSO will update and manage BCIT’s applied research, while the PILO will focus on intellectual property policies and commercialization programs. The PILO will strengthen the Institute’s industry liaison division and help provide a “front door” for companies that have an interest in partnering with BCIT on technology development initiatives.
Western Economic Diversification Canada is the federal department mandated to support economic diversification in communities across Western Canada.
For additional information, contact:
| Fiona MacLeod Allison Markin |
Jinny Wu |
WD Toll-Free Number:
1 888 338-WEST (9378) |