Canadian Foundation of Innovation funding of $30 million for the development of an advanced research computing facility will enable Canadian researchers to gain a deeper understanding of how the scientific, social, health and economic worlds connect.
Announced at the University of Waterloo on July 30, the federal government investment, made through the CFI’s Cyberinfrastructure Initiative, will support advanced computing hubs housed at four institutions: the University of Waterloo, the University of Toronto, Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria. The computing platform will be managed by Compute Canada, an independent organization, and is available to researchers at all Canadian universities, regardless of location or discipline.
Duane Cronin, a Waterloo mechanical and mechatronics engineering
Speaking at the announcement, Cronin said computer simulations that would have once taken weeks to complete could soon be done by the end of the day given the remarkable power of the advanced digital platform.
"The results we will generate, at a fraction of the time and cost, will help Canada’s automotive industry innovate new, more fuel-efficient and safer vehicles for drivers and passengers alike," said Cronin, the executive director of the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research. "Quite simply, this infrastructure transcends research areas and is an essential national resource for all."
Feridun Hamdullahpur,
president
and
vice-chancellor
of
the University
of
Waterloo,
said Canadian
researchers
are
tackling
some
of
the
world’s
most
complex
challenges
and need
to
rely
on
increasingly
vast
sets
of
information
and
massive
computing
power.
"I
am
proud
that
the
University
of
Waterloo
is
home
to
some
of
these
world-class
resources
that
will
help
researchers
across
Canada
drive
innovation
and
discovery
forward,"
he
said.