Ontario's Nuclear Innovation Institute is exciting news for our community.
Bruce Power and the County of Bruce have partnered to establish the Ontario Nuclear Innovation Institute as an international centre of excellence for applied research and training.
With over 30 nuclear companies opening offices regionally in the past two years, Bruce Power and the County of Bruce will harness this strong foundation by establishing a hub for nuclear innovation through applied research and training.
Ontario's Nuclear Innovation Institute will bring together technological leaders to share collective expertise and knowledge, while identifying opportunities to advance nuclear applications and technologies, as well as people skills through training.
The key focus areas of the Institute will include:
* Artificial intelligence and cyber-security
* Medical and industrial isotopes
* Health and environmental excellence in the Lake Huron and Georgian Bay areas
* Indigenous advancement and economic development
* Nuclear sector, operational excellence
The Institute will also include a Skilled Trades and Training Secretariat, consisting of industry leaders who will be responsible for coordinating and increasing employment in the skilled trades, to support building a strong and sustainable regional labour force.
The Institute will be established in Southampton and the project has now commenced with a development phase where key partners will be established, a formal business plan developed, operating structure put in place, and the planning of the facility. The goal is to complete this development and break ground for a facility no later than 2020. The institute will collaborate to advance the skills needed in Bruce Power's new refurbishment training centre, which is currently being built in Kincardine.
The initial location being considered for the Institute is adjacent to the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre. A local dialogue through the project development phase with neighbours and the community will occur around this or potentially other options within Southampton. The Institute may also include offering practical classes, training and/or materials to inform and engage the youth in our area on technologies and opportunities available through technical fields and craft trades.
A steering committee has been formed to guide the establishment of the Institute. It will be chaired by Frank Saunders, Bruce Power's Vice President, Nuclear Oversight and Regulatory Affairs, who previously has also served as the Director of Nuclear Operations for McMaster University. The steering committee will bring on board expertise from key partners and domestic and international organizations to guide the formation of the Institute, while working closely with a team from Bruce Power and the County of Bruce, which has been jointly established to guide the development phase of the project.
We look to a bright future where these businesses and entrepreneurs collaborate to establish new, locally based entities to sell the applications and technologies being advanced and applied within the Institute. We envision these new local businesses attaining opportunities within Canada and internationally.
source: media release, Bruce Power
