Blending of Disciplines Has a New Champion in CCIT


BY GEORGE LEE
The PEGG

Looking Up
The Calgary Centre for Innovative Technology has a commanding presence on the U of C campus.

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

 


Home | Past PEGGs | PEGG Search | Contact Us