Canadian Universities Form $210-Million Research Deal With IBM

Seven Ontario universities have formed a $210-million research-and-development deal with IBM to harness cloud computing and supercomputers to work on big issues like managing energy resources, reports The Globe and Mail.

IBM is providing $175-million, with the rest coming from the federal and Ontario governments. The newspaper says the deal is an example of the federal government’s effort to spur closer ties between universities and industry, which was a key part the latest federal budget and has been met with a mixed response from academics.

The University of Toronto and Western University are the lead higher-education partners in the project. According to the University of Toronto, IBM researchers will be based on its campus, and the partnership will help solve "critical problems related to cities, heath care, water and energy management, and building the next generation of supercomputers."

Full Story: http://chronicle.com/blogs/global/canadian-universities-form-210-million-research-deal-with-ibm/32803