Queen’s is partnering with IBM Canada and six other universities to form the IBM Canada Research and Development Centre bringing researchers from across Ontario together to collaborate in areas including healthcare, urban challenges, water conservation and energy monitoring.  The new centre uses cloud computing for storing data on remote servers.

"This new research and development initiative creates a platform for addressing one of the biggest challenges and opportunities to advance innovation,” says Steven Liss, Queen’s Vice-Principal (Research). “For Ontario, in particular, this is a game-changing opportunity to be at the forefront of global leadership in this area.”

The virtual centre’s cutting-edge computer infrastructure manages data to increase access to lifesaving information which will create new healthcare techniques, address issues associated with rapid urbanization, address health problems related to water pollution and find better ways to track how hydro flows to reduce waste.

The project is being led by the University of Toronto and Western University and includes partners McMaster University, University of Ottawa, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and the University of Waterloo.