New $120 Million General Motors of Canada Automotive Centre of Excellence Launched at UOIT

The establishment of a unique new General Motors of Canada Automotive Centre of Excellence at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) took the next step towards reality today with more than $120 million in contributions from General Motors of Canada and the PACE partnership, the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada.

The new GM of Canada Automotive Centre of Excellence will be the hub of the broader Automotive Innovation Network linking automotive engineers, auto suppliers and Canadian universities. When completed, the centre will house state-of-the-art research and development tools in the areas of vehicle dynamics, noise and vibration, thermal climatic wind tunnel, structural durability testing and the ability to accommodate future automotive fuels like hydrogen.

“Our vision has been to create a new advanced automotive technology cluster centered at UOIT that links together our best Canadian companies, universities, students and engineers with companies in the Canadian automotive supply chain,” said Arturo Elias president, General Motors of Canada. “At GM we believe that building new innovation and commercialization linkages is critical for our industry’s success in Canada and Canadian suppliers’ ability to use innovation as a core advantage for the future.”

The new centre will partner with PACE, (Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education) a consortium of companies with five partners GM, EDS, HP, Siemens PLM Software and Sun Microsystems, and 10 other PACE contributors. PACE will provide an initial investment of more than $C60 million in state-of-the-art computer based hardware, engineering software and student and instructor training and academic support. That level of support is expected to grow over time as it is integrated into new curricula. The Ontario government is investing $58 million in the centre as part of its $235 million auto strategy investment in GM’s Beacon project.

GM and the Government of Canada also announced further support in the form of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) grant to co-fund an NSERC-GM of Canada Chair in Innovative Design Engineering, which has been awarded to Dr. Remon Pop-Iliev, an associate professor at UOIT. NSERC and GM of Canada will contribute $1 million each over a five-year period, in combination with UOIT's contribution of $250,000, to fund this key new academic position.

“By investing in know-how, the McGuinty government is bolstering the long-term future of our auto industry. The centre will help inspire our next generation of auto engineers and strengthen Ontario's R&D network that is essential to make this province the best place to create the products and jobs of the future,” said Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

“UOIT is honoured to have the opportunity to create the GM of Canada Automotive Centre of Excellence here on campus,” said UOIT President Dr. Ronald Bordessa. “This partnership is very important strategically as it significantly builds upon the foundation we have developed at UOIT for educating Canada’s next-generation automotive engineers, men and women who will blend technical knowledge and creative design skills to greatly advance automotive research and design.”

“This Conservative Government's commitment to the automotive sector, its workers and its partnership with industry and academia in the development of the GM Automotive Centre of Excellence is unwavering,” said Colin Carrie, Member of Parliament for Oshawa and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry. “This investment ensures the continuation of our community as an international leader in automotive excellence.”

The GM of Canada Automotive Centre of Excellence at UOIT will anchor a broader Canadian Innovation Network comprised of selected universities in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Founding members of GM’s Canadian Innovation Network include McMaster University, University of Waterloo, UOIT, Université de Sherbrooke, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Université du Québec Institut national recherche scientifique, University of British Columbia and Auto 21. GM has also provided approximately $10 million in new R&D and design support for innovative auto technology programs at these universities.

General Motors of Canada (GMCL) is engineering and manufacturing advanced environmental technologies ranging from Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) and hybrid systems to E85 biofuel and fuel cell vehicles – more than any other auto company right here in Canada.

Headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, GMCL employs more than 19,000 people nationwide. GM of Canada manufactures vehicles, vehicle powertrains, and markets the full range of General Motors vehicles and related services through 732 dealerships and retailers across Canada. Vehicles sold through this network include Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Saturn, Hummer, Saab and Cadillac.

As an innovative university, UOIT delivers a leading-edge learning environment that uniquely combines academic knowledge, research opportunities, hands-on skills and a vibrant student life. UOIT's 5,000 students are taught by professors who are experts in their fields from around the world. As Ontario's first laptop-based university, the university offers a diverse array of challenging undergraduate and graduate degree programs. UOIT’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science offers excellence in education, high-calibre and value-added research, and high-quality and innovative market-driven programs in areas such as Automotive, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Software and Electrical engineering.

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