GM awards Oshawa tech centre with ‘connected -car’ mandate
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
GM's Canadian Engineering Centre is doubling it's workforce to focus on “connected car” technology, alternative fuels and advanced materials
OSHAWA, Ont.—GM Canada is expanding its Canadian Engineering Centre in Oshawa, Ont., growing it into an innovation hub for the “connected car” and green technologies.
President and managing director Steve Carlisle said at an April 28 press conference that these are two areas of growing importance for automotive customers and the future of the auto sector.
The Oshawa-based centre is now hiring more than 100 software and controls engineers to support the new connected-car mandate, as well as environmental and urban mobility solutions.
GM Canada manages approximately $190 million research and development work per year with a wide range of leading Canadian suppliers and universities.
Work at the GM Canada Engineering Centre in Oshawa and its cold-weather testing facility in Kapuskasing, Ont. researches connected and environmentally sustainable vehicles and technology.
This includes the development of new software and active controls that take advantage of high-speed data links between automobiles and mobile networks. So-called connected car technologies open the door to a range of new safety, environmental and infotainment applications.
Innovation at the Canadian Engineering Centre also focuses on the use of alternative fuels, light-weight and advanced materials which help improve fuel economy and offer customers new and more sustainable technology solutions.
“We are making this investment because we see an opportunity to take advantage of a wealth of talent in mobile technologies, software and advanced automotive engineering available in Canada’s leading universities and other partner organizations,” said Carlisle. “Canada has the bench strength and, to borrow a famous hockey analogy, this is where the puck is going.”
To invite Canadians to be part of creating the future with the connected car and green technologies, GM Canada will be using social media to engage students, professors and teachers, and other Canadians with our innovation team.
“As a long-time partner in research with GM Canada, we are delighted with this new focus on connected car and green technologies at GM Canada’s Engineering Centre. This will provide our students and graduates with even more opportunities to apply their knowledge in an important and growing field of study and commercialization,” said Amir Khajepour, professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering at University of Waterloo.
Janet Walden, chief operating officer, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) said, “NSERC is proud to be a supporter of industrial partnerships with Canadian research institutions. Our investments continue to transform innovation within Canada and as this announcement today demonstrates, serve to strengthen Canada’s competitive position in cutting edge research, ultimately leading to new jobs.”
