Ontario backs innovation centre

The Ontario government has announced that it will provide $40m of capital funding for a new Centre for Engineering Innovation (CEI) at the University of Windsor, Canada.

The $110m centre will focus on automotive engineering and manufacturing.

‘With a highly skilled and innovative workforce, the Centre for Engineering Innovation will attract high value research and new investment to the province by strengthening our position as a global leader in automotive and manufacturing innovation,’ said Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development and Trade.

The aim of the CEI is to provide a closer link between industry and academia by bringing industry partners directly to academic staff and students to operate research and development and cooperative programmes.

The addition of the CEI to the University of Windsor will allow the faculty of engineering to increase its annual roll of undergraduate students from 1,400 to 2,000 over the next five years.