MONTREAL – Three Western-led projects targeting smarter systems, better materials and safer roadways are among projects benefiting from a $22 million investment by Canada’s automotive research program, the AUTO21 Network of Centres of Excellence. The funding will support 40 automotive R&D projects at Canadian universities in partnership with more than 100 public- and private-sector companies.
Gary Goodyear, Minister of State, Science and Technology, announced the funding this week at the AUTO21 conference in Montreal, Quebec.
The $22 million will support the projects for two years and includes $10 million from the Government of Canada through the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence program. The remaining $12 million consists of contributions from Canada’s automotive sector, including numerous automakers, parts manufacturers and material suppliers.
Nearly 200 academic researchers will contribute to the 40 projects, which will also provide training opportunities to about 400 graduate students.
Western is contributing three projects from four researchers – Safe Driving in Older Adults, led by Health Sciences professor Janice Miller Polgar, along with Lakehead University professor Michel Bedard; Computational Tools for Magnesium Die-Casting, led by Engineering professor Jeffrey Wood; and Reliable and Secure Sensor Networks for Factory Automation, led by Engineering professors Xianbin Wang and Weiming Shen.
A full list and summaries of projects is available at the Auto21 website.