Inaugural building of Université de Sherbrooke's Parc Innovation
Sherbrooke, December 19, 2006 - BRP and Université de Sherbrooke today announced the creation of a centre for research and innovation focusing on the development of new leading-edge technologies for the motorized recreational vehicles industry. The Centre de technologies avancées BRP - Université de Sherbrooke (CTA) will be housed in the first building to be constructed in the University's new Parc Innovation.
The CTA represents a total investment of $36 million over five years, including $10.6 million in infrastructure costs and $4 million for specialized equipment. The project is made possible thanks to an $8.5 million grant from the Québec Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Exports and another of $9.9 million from Canada Economic Development. BRP is investing $15.6 million, and Université de Sherbrooke $2.1 million in infrastructure. In January 2008 the CTA will move into a new 3,900-square-metre facility that will serve as the main building of the new Parc Innovation de l'Université de Sherbrooke, the entrance to which will be on Boulevard de l'Université near Highway 410.
Among those attending the announcement of the CTA's creation were Jean Charest, Québec Premier; Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Federal Labour Minister and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for Québec Regions; Monique Gagnon-Tremblay, Québec Minister of International Relations and Minister Responsible for the Estrie Region; Raymond Bachand, Québec Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Exports, as well as Jean Perrault, Mayor of Sherbrooke.
"In view of the challenges we must surmount to compete in an increasingly globalizing economy, our goal is to create, jointly with Université de Sherbrooke, a one-of-a-kind technology cluster with international reach that will help leverage our competitiveness and maintain our global leadership position," said José Boisjoli, President and Chief Executive Officer of BRP. "This unifying project will help spur socio-economic development in this region, allowing for greater involvement from our suppliers in the process of developing new technologies to be integrated into either their manufacturing processes or those of BRP. The CTA will also create high-level jobs and improve our capacity to retain young graduates here in the Eastern Townships."
Université de Sherbrooke Rector Bruno-Marie Béchard explained that the partnership between BRP and the university will also lead to a greater focus on leading-edge research bringing together academic researchers and industry engineers. "The strength of this partnership lies in our shared capacity for innovation," he said. "In a stimulating setting found nowhere else in Québec, Université de Sherbrooke will provide engineering graduate students with an exceptional venue for conducting both fundamental and applied research, leading to technology breakthroughs that will further enhance the competitiveness of Québec-based industry."
The Centre de technologies avancées BRP - Université de Sherbrooke
The mission of the CTA is both inspiring and bold: to develop, before 2011, five distinct new technologies for integration into the manufacturing processes of BRP and its Québec-based partners, while simultaneously training highly qualified research professionals. In concrete terms, the CTA expects to hire, full time, 25 BRP employees, 15 graduate students, six Université de Sherbrooke research professionals and two administrative employees.
Research teams will work mainly in five development areas: engines; transmissions and drive trains; suspension and shock absorber systems; materials and manufacturing processes; and technologies that are more respectful of the environment.
The Parc Innovation de l'Université de Sherbrooke
The idea of creating a university research and development park dates back to 1984. Announced during the Eastern Townships Socio-Economic Summit, the plan was identified as a major one for the region, and had received the assent of Université de Sherbrooke's board of governors.
A promising venture, the Université de Sherbrooke's Parc Innovation will be a centre for scientific research and development activity originating regionally, nationally and internationally, and establishment by private enterprise and government organizations of intensive research partnerships with professors in the University's areas of expertise. The Parc's facilities will be designed from a sustainable-development perspective, facilitating access by students to high-calibre specialized equipment for the undertaking of joint research projects. The partnerships will promote interaction and synergy among players in academic research and in industrial development.
BRP, a privately-held company, is a world leader in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of motorised recreational vehicles. Our portfolio of brands and products includes: Ski-Doo® and LynxTM snowmobiles, Sea-Doo® watercraft and sport boats, Johnson® and Evinrude® outboard engines, direct injection technologies such as Evinrude E TEC®, Can-AmTM all-terrain vehicles, Rotax® engines and karts. Information about BRP is available at www.brp.com.
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