The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has launched the Collaboration on Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Cybersecurity in Waterloo.
“This collaboration centre brings together leading researchers to make significant advances in artificial intelligence for Canadians.”
The innovation hub, established by the NRC and the University of Waterloo, aims to make new discoveries and advances in AI, IoT, and cybersecurity, including publications, patents, and the commercialization of technology. It will also provide training opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to conduct research that contributes to several real-world applications, including intelligent logistics.
“This collaboration centre brings together leading researchers to make significant advances in artificial intelligence for Canadians and Canadian businesses,” said Iain Stewart, president of the National Research Council of Canada. “We are proud to partner with the University of Waterloo and look forward to the success of this exciting collaboration.”
This is part of the NRC’s effort to increase collaboration with regional ecosystems, universities, polytechnic institutions, and colleges, and establish select collaboration centres across the country. The hub will be staffed with 20 researchers and students from the NRC and the University of Waterloo.
The focus areas of the new centre include:
- Battery-free touch sensors for IoT
- Neuromorphics for vision-based movement planning and control
- Reliable gesture recognition in virtual reality environments
- Secure, scalable quantum-safe blockchain for critical infrastructure
- Automated material discovery using deep reinforcement learning
Recently, the NRC also partnered with the University of New Brunswick (UNB) to open a cybersecurity innovation hub in Fredericton. The New Brunswick hub will conduct cybersecurity research for critical infrastructure with a focus on IoT, security, artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, and natural language processing. The NRC and the University of Waterloo have collaborated on computer science research and development for over 10 years.
“Fundamental research is made stronger through collaboration,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “This new hub offers the National Research Council and the University of Waterloo an opportunity to make significant strides that will develop Canada’s strength in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the Internet of Things, and expand on our legacy of global impact.”