Georgian College’s new Advanced Technology Centre has officially opened.
The College says the Peter B. Moore Advanced Technology Centre officially opened at the Barrie campus on Thursday.
Over 200 people from all levels of government, industry partners, major donors, the local community and Georgian College were present at the opening of the new $30-million facility.
The college says the project was funded by the federal government’s Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund (SIF), the province of Ontario, the County of Simcoe, the city of Barrie, Automotive Business School of Canada Board of Directors, Alectra Utilities, Georgian College Students’ Association, AutoIQ.ca Network of Dealerships, Innovative Automation, Jane Brown Jackson and numerous other contributors.
The centre was also funded by a major donation from Peter B. Moore, a local philanthropist, entrepreneur and the owner of Moore Packaging.
Georgian College president and CEO, MaryLynn West-Moynes, says Moore has always understood the importance of innovation and changing technologies.
“We are grateful for his vision, leadership and generosity in recognizing our centre as a valuable incubator of collaborative partnerships between students, academia and industry which will promote innovation to develop central Ontario’s economy,” West-Moynes said in a release issued by the college. “He is also humble, and prefers to keep the amount of his donation private.”
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According to the release, Moore first made a “generous” donation to the college in 2014.
“I was so happy with the impact that my first gift had helping students in the changemaker space, that I decided I wanted to do something bigger,” Moore said in the release. “I believe this centre will take economic growth in our region to the next level and I’m very proud and excited to play a part in supporting the next generation of innovators.”
The new three-storey, 56,000-square-foot centre features computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and geographic information system (GIS) labs, a dedicated telepresence room, anechoic chamber, electrical lab and technical project space.
Within the facility, the Alectra Centre for Research, Innovation and Commercialization provides students and industry partners access to research, incubator, changemaker and fabrication space.
“Creating good jobs in Barrie means having research and development happen here. The opening of the Peter B. Moore Advanced Technology Centre means businesses will have better access to research, allowing for new opportunities and innovations,” Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman said in the release. “The Centre will play a huge part in driving our economy and community forward.”
According to the release, the centre is also home to the first engineering, environmental sustainability and computer science degrees in central Ontario. Students in the programs will graduate in four years with a degree and advanced diploma, offered in partnership with Lakehead University.
“The benefits of the new Peter B. Moore Advanced Technology Centre are many,” West-Moynes said. “Not only will it be the go-to source to develop and incubate ideas, test concepts, and showcase promising research and new products, it will enable greater industrial competitiveness and resiliency through access to research, technology and innovation infrastructure.”
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