OTTAWA – The federal government has committed $120 million in 2006-07 to CANARIE Inc. to maintain its CA*net broadband network that links universities, research hospitals and other science facilities over the next five years. The money will also be used to ensure the network remains up-to-date with the latest technology.
“The CANARIE network is essential to Canada’s innovative capacity, and to our future science and technology research success,” Industry Canada minister Maxime Bernier said Thursday. “CANARIE’s network infrastructure supporting advanced research is an important element of our newly released science and technology strategy. It enables Canadian researchers to benefit fully from the research being undertaken elsewhere in Canada and abroad by collaborating and sharing results in real time, and provides opportunities for Canadian students to access knowledge generated around the world.”
Many of Canada’s research sectors, including oil and gas, life sciences, mining, agriculture, energy and the environment depend on CA*net.
This continued support for CANARIE is aimed at providing Canada’s research and scientific communities with a fundamental tool for innovation; fostering collaboration among research institutes, universities, colleges and the private sector; and encouraging world-leading research and development, according to the government.
The collection, analysis and sharing of large amounts of data requires a very high-speed, large-capacity and high-resolution network, whether the data be for research into diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, or for oceanography, astrophysics, mining or oil and gas exploration, noted the government in a media backgrounder released Thursday.
“We thank the government of Canada for its commitment to world-leading research,” said CANARIE president and CEO Andrew Bjerring. “By continuing the evolution of the network and advanced networking technologies, we will ensure the capacity and capabilities are there to meet the needs of Canada’s research and scientific communities for the next five years.”
CANARIE is a not-for-profit corporation that manages CA*net.
