| BY GEORGE LEE
The PEGG
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Looking Up
The Calgary Centre
for Innovative Technology has a commanding presence
on the U of C campus.
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As technological disciplines continue to blend, APEGGA members
searching for a glimpse of their future would be well advised
to check out the young Calgary Centre for Innovative Technology
at the University of Calgary. Designed to bring together
cutting edge research in four core areas, CCIT sends an
important message to all professionals, says CCIT Executive
Director Darrel Danyluk, P.Eng.
“In industry, we’ve been working in a multi-disciplinary,
multi-faceted way all along. Now, with CCIT, it’s happening
at the research level, too. This means strengthened support
coming from research, into industry,” Mr. Danyluk said.
The 6,460-square-metre, four-storey centre opened in October
2002. Last March, APEGGA partnered with the Canadian Society
for Engineering Management and CCIT to put on a presentation
on the role of innovative technology in the enhancement of
engineering. A tour of the building and its state-of-the-art
labs was part of the program.
Said APEGGA’s Nancy Toth, MA, Manager, Professional
Development: “The presentation and tour were very well
received. CCIT and the University of Calgary have a lot to
offer members, and we were very pleased to be able to partner
with them.”
Dimitra Katsuris, P.Eng., CCIT’s manager of marketing
and industry research liaison, agrees that CCIT plays an
important professional development role. “We’re
definitely interested in partnering with APEGGA and with
technical societies,” she said. “That way, their
members can see first-hand how research is having an effect
on their industries.” CCIT is always interested in
research partnerships with industry, she said.
Another of CCIT’s goals is to become a magnet for multi-disciplinary
research in its four core areas of natural resource technologies,
bioengineering, sustainable infrastructure and intelligent
technologies. “It’s already doing one of the
things we expected it to do, and that is attract top researchers
in the core areas,” said Mr. Danyluk.
“We’ve got over 100 new researchers here, and that’s
a real plus. They wouldn’t be here without CCIT.”
As of March, CCIT housed 118 researchers and grad students.
Its occupancy plan calls for 190 by the end of the 2004 and
220 by the end of 2005.
Because the centre is still young, however, much of its effect
remains to be seen. “In the mid-term, say in three
to five years, the research will start to be published – that’s
when we’ll really start to see the benefits,” said
Mr. Danyluk.
MORE INFO
Dimitra Katsuris, P.Eng.
Tel. 403-210-9775
Darrel Danyluk, P.Eng.
Tel. 403-210-9890
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