The Stratford Institute breaks ground in June to house what is expected to become a hub for Canadian digital media and provide a solid foundation for a collaborative university partnership.
The University of Western Ontario has signed on to work with the University of Waterloo in developing a centre in Stratford, Ont. dedicated to teaching, research and promotion of digital media in Canada.
The institute is currently housed in temporary space at 6 Wellington Street in Stratford. The new facility, a redevelopment of an abandoned factory, will be housed on 17 acres of land in the downtown area.
In November of 2009, Waterloo and Western signed a memorandum of understanding in Stratford to investigate shared academic initiatives, particularly in the area of digital media and to jointly promote Canada’s digital media sector.
Although the Stratford initiative is driven by the University of Waterloo, Western Vice President (Research and International Relations) Ted Hewitt feels the university brings many strengths that complement what Waterloo is already doing.
“Given Waterloo’s obvious strengths in software engineering and in computer science, it seemed to make a lot of sense to work together to support a sector that is both strong in London and in Waterloo in the area of digital media, gaming and related fields,” says Hewitt.
Faculty members in computer science, such as Mike Katchabaw who is known internationally for his work in gaming, have technical expertise and colleagues in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies can contribute to the theoretical and conceptual way of thinking about digital media, he says.
Experts in areas such as intellectual property in the Faculty of Law and the Richard Ivey School of Business will add to the partnership.
“I think this is where we are going as we move away from the traditional disciplinary array and focus in on issues, problems and challenges that address 21st century needs. I think that’s what we should be doing,” he says.
“That doesn’t mean we are moving away completely from a disciplinary approach, but more and more universities and faculty researchers and students are looking at problems that are multidisciplinary, multi-faceted and more complex, and that takes a different kind of approach.”
Western faculty members will likely be invited to teach at the Stratford Institute and participate in events and professional efforts, in addition to joint research.
Western recently met with its partners, along with area digital media companies, including RIM, Open Text and London’s EK3 and Digital Extremes, with panel discussions focused on medical imaging, consumer products and business applications.
Digital media is not one of Western’s identified signature areas, but it is emerging as an area where Western hopes to make an impact and jump aboard what is becoming a national economic strategy.
Western is continuing to develop technologies and software that can be licensed to companies and help with commercialization, says Hewitt.
In 2008, Canada’s Science and Technology Innovation Council identified information communications technology, including digital media, animation and games, as one of the country’s research and development strengths.
On a different front, Western researchers, including copyright expert Samuel Trosow, will be participating in the Graphics, Animation and New Media Network, a large, multi-disciplinary and multi-institution research group led by computer science professor Kellogg Booth at the University of British Columbia. The group’s vision is to help Canada develop its position in new media, animation, and games.
Western will participate in Canada 3.0, a digital media forum organized by the Canadian Digital Media Network and the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus, on May 10-11 in Stratford. In its second year, the event brings industry representatives, members of the public sector and academics together to discuss Canada’s digital future.
“It’s going to diversify our economy from traditional sectors of manufacturing, tourism and agriculture, and it’s going to give us an opportunity to move more into the technology-based 21st century economy of digital media and computer science,” says Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson.
“It’s one thing to have a vision but if you can’t find the partners to move forward, it never develops. Western has had a great tradition of collaborative partnership and it is being embraced right across the leadership of that organization and that really is what is going to lead to the (institute’s) success.”