BlackBerry and Carleton University have agreed a $21-million USD, five year strategic partnership agreement that will provide software engineers and researchers access to BlackBerry QNX technology for use in a wide range of industries, including automotive, robotics, transportation, Internet of things (IoT), aerospace and medical devices.
BlackBerry will help establish and provide technology for a new embedded operating system software research lab in the Advanced Research and Innovation in Smart Environments (ARISE) building on Carleton’s campus, where researchers can use BlackBerry QNX technology in a wide range of applications in the automotive sector, medical devices, robotics and automation.
The company will also provide 600 BlackBerry QNX software development seat licences annually to students throughout Carleton’s School of Computer Science and Faculty of Engineering and Design, along with training and product support, enriching Carleton’s course offerings and projects in embedded systems.
Additionally, senior representatives from BlackBerry QNX’s sales, product, R&D and leadership teams will collaborate with faculty, undergraduate and graduate co-op students to advance research projects, providing real world experience on transitioning technologies more efficiently to market.
“As a Carleton University graduate and active alumnus, I know first-hand the passion that exists within the student body and faculty community to go beyond the classroom and foster the skills that will allow graduates to make an impact from day one of their working careers,” said John Wall, SVP and co-head, BlackBerry Technology Solutions.
“With our new partnership, we’ve created a unique experiential learning environment that is designed to do just that, providing students with the foundational tools and technologies that will enable them to solve real industry problems upon graduation.
My team and I are very much looking forward to working more closely with the university in the months and years ahead to help students build the safe and secure autonomous systems of tomorrow.”
BlackBerry has a longstanding commitment to engaging with post-secondary and secondary institutions in support of educational programs, school projects, women in engineering, and STEM-related activities. Notably, the company is also a corporate sponsor of Carleton’s new Women in Engineering and Information Technology program, which will provide learning and development opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate-level women within Carleton’s wide range of engineering and information technology programs.
“This partnership is critical, both in terms of its value to Carleton researchers and students and its long-term impact on high-tech research,” said Carleton President Benoit-Antoine Bacon.
“We are proud to strategically and holistically partner with BlackBerry QNX, building on our past research collaborations in connected and autonomous vehicles, biomedical engineering and robotics. We look forward to working with the QNX team to advance future developments of the high-tech industry in our city and around the world.”
