On November 1, Cisco, together with the University of Waterloo, launched two initiatives that will benefit not only the University and the Waterloo region, but the entire country.
Along with the unveiling of the new Cisco Research Chair in Smart Grid at the University, Cisco also announced the opening of our brand new Incubation Centre located on campus at the David Johnston Research + Technology Park. Both these announcements will bolster the Waterloo region’s tech presence and help ensure it remains a key Canadian IT centre of excellence.
Over the last couple of years, Cisco Canada president Nitin Kawale has made a concerted effort to draw attention to the state of innovation and productivity in this country. Canada’s productivity rate is lagging behind many other countries and we run the risk of losing even more ground if things don’t improve. Cisco believes that the key to increasing productivity is through innovation. But merely spreading the message isn’t enough – we need to start working on solutions.
The announcements made at Waterloo continue the many efforts Cisco has been making to drive innovation growth. We’ve been working closely with the public sector to drive new research and development initiatives across Canada. University research chairs are the direct result of this collaboration. Cisco has already established the Cisco Chair for Collaborative Technologies at the University of Winnipeg and the Cisco Chair in Advanced Learning Technologies at the University of New Brunswick.
The Cisco Chair in Smart Grid at the University of Waterloo will carry out valuable research in the energy sector. It will not only add to the university’s reputation as one of Canada’s leading institutions, it will also help to nurture the people whose skills will be of great benefit to Canada in the future. See what the University of Waterloo’s Cisco Chair in Smart Grid, Professor Srinivasan Keshav, had to say about his position in his own words:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGDQnmHiO78&w=560&h=315]
Similarly, the new Cisco Incubation Centre will be a fantastic resource for young entrepreneurs looking to kick-start their businesses. Students, start-ups and entrepreneurs will be able to leverage Cisco’s diverse technology portfolio, including collaboration tools such as high-definition video conferencing solution Cisco TelePresence, as well as the ability to connect to innovation centres, Cisco experts and ecosystem partners around the world.
For Waterloo, the new Chair and the Incubation Centre will provide students, researchers and entrepreneurs with a wealth of resources to further their vision. They ensure the Waterloo region remains one of Ontario’s key technology hubs and will continue to draw and produce some of the most talented people in the country.
For Canada, these new innovations will lead to increases in productivity and collaboration which will ultimately drive job creation. It’s a step in the right direction to ensure that Ontario and Canada remain at the forefront in the fields of engineering, environment, science and technology.
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