Blog
Operation simulate
Based in Montreal, CAE Inc. is recognized worldwide as a developer of flight simulators that are used to train commercial and military airline pilots. But by leveraging its knowledge of advanced simulation technology, the company is also helping to train the next generation of healthcare professionals.
In 2009, CAE partnered with the Université de Montréal to create one of Canada’s largest healthcare simulation centres. The centre offers training in a risk-free environment to more than 1,000 medical students each month. It also functions as a joint research and development site, enabling CAE Healthcare and the university’s medical faculty to work together to design and test new educational tools – including life-like robotic mannequins – that improve and enhance the safety and efficiency of patient care.
The centre is equipped with 12 rooms that can be used to simulate different environments: a hospital, an ambulatory environment, a private medical practice, an external clinic, an emergency room and so on. The centre stresses the importance of teamwork, communication, error avoidance and error mitigation in improving patient outcomes. This year the centre was accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, recognizing that the facility effectively improves the quality of the educational … Read more »
Neonatal nuturing
Eight per cent of babies in Canada are born prematurely, putting them at increased risk of respiratory illness, infection, developmental problems and even death. Most require constant monitoring to detect any deterioration in their vital signs or other subtle warnings of complications or disease.
To help doctors make better, faster decisions regarding the care of premature infants, a team of researchers worked closely with IBM Canada Ltd. on a breakthrough software project using advanced stream computing. The result was Project Artemis, a highly flexible, real-time monitoring system that enables healthcare professionals to detect certain life-threatening conditions such as infection up to 24 hours faster than is possible with traditional approaches to neonatal monitoring. The IBM software analyzes vast quantities of biomedical data collected from critically ill babies at up to 1,000 readings per second, as well as environmental data gathered from advanced sensors and more conventional bedside monitors.… Read more »
Investing in people: Irving Oil President Mike Ashar
Mike Ashar, President, Irving Oil Limited, discusses the Irving Oil-UNB Saint John Executive MBA, and how both the employees and the company are benefiting from the program.… Read more »
Synchronicity
Canada is among the world’s leading producers of nickel, and Vale Canada Limited is the country’s foremost producer of the metal. Nickel is a key ingredient in stainless steel as well as batteries and various other industrial and consumer products – but the toxicity of different chemical forms of nickel can vary significantly. For nickel producers, understanding the chemical differences that make some nickel compounds toxic and others harmless is the key to satisfying stringent regulatory requirements and validating safety standards.
To protect its employees and the environment, Vale Canada works closely with scientists at Canadian Light Source (CLS), Canada’s national synchrotron research facility. Located at the University of Saskatchewan, the synchrotron is one of the largest science projects in Canadian history. Using radio frequency waves and powerful magnets to accelerate electrons close to the speed of light, the synchrotron enables scientists to study the microstructure and chemical properties of materials down to the atomic level. In Vale’s case, that means gaining a detailed understanding of the chemical nature of nickel particulates found in mines and processing facilities.
The CLS synchrotron is a unique and valuable tool for companies in a wide range of industries, from biotechnology to manufacturing. … Read more »
On track
As cities around the world become increasingly congested, the need for smarter and more durable urban transportation solutions is growing more acute. Bombardier Inc., in partnership with Queen’s University, is testing a new generation of reinforced concrete that could be used to build stronger, longer-lasting transportation infrastructure. The company is working with a team of civil engineering students to build and evaluate a 1.5-kilometre-long monorail train track just outside Kingston, Ontario.
Traditional reinforced concrete is built with steel rods, which are heavy and prone to rust, causing the concrete to crack and crumble. The new monorail test track is reinforced with fibreglass bars and rods, which weigh one-third as much and last much longer. “It’s a chance to test our technologies and designs in collaboration with a multinational company,” says Dr. Amir Fam, professor of structural engineering and Canada Research Chair in Innovative and Retrofitted Structures. Queen’s researchers have been doing pioneering work in the area of fibre-reinforced polymers for more than 17 years. With Bombardier’s involvement, the technology could soon be ready for real-world application in urban transportation systems.… Read more »
Rick Waugh: Canada should take advantage of its short economic ‘window of opportunity’
Rick Waugh, CEO, Scotiabank, argues that Canada has a unique opportunity to take advantage of the ‘Canadian brand’ of a strong economy and monetary and fiscal policies, a financial system that is in good shape, and a wealth of resources that the world wants. He speaks about the growth potential in emerging economies and the role that government can play in ensuring Canadian businesses can succeed abroad. Mr. Waugh gave this interview during the Canadian Business Leadership Forum 2012.… Read more »
A sea change
Scientists have known since the 1930s that omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal human growth, but it was only in the 1990s that public awareness of its health benefits increased dramatically. A Canadian entrepreneur, John Risley, played a significant role in the commercialization of omega-3 supplements. Mr. Risley, the founder, president and chief executive officer of Clearwater Fine Foods Inc., began studying the possible health advantages of fish oil after seeing scientific evidence supporting its benefits for the heart and brain.
In 1997 he launched Ocean Nutrition Canada. Working closely with experts, the company developed a breakthrough technology that transformed fish oil into a tasteless, odorless powder finer than flour – a supplement that could be added to a wide range of food products, from beverages to bread. Today, Ocean Nutrition is the world’s leading supplier of omega-3 ingredients to the dietary supplement and food manufacturing sectors – a multi-billion-dollar market, fueled by increasing media attention, consumer awareness and proven health benefits. In May 2012, Ocean Nutrition was sold to a Dutch-based company for $540 million – compelling evidence of innovation’s potential to create value.
To read more about Canadian companies leading in innovation, click here… Read more »
Ownership in the oil sands
Most energy production in this country is still in the hands of Canadian-based companies, but foreign activity is nothing new in the oil patch, says Peters & Co., a Calgary-based consulting firm. Canadian companies are responsible for 59% of Canada’s domestic oil production and 54% of natural gas production. The two largest producers, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd and Suncor Energy Inc., are Canadian-based, although Suncor started as a subsidiary of U.S.-based Sun Co Inc.
At a time when it is estimated that Canada needs about $600 billion in investment to develop the oil sands, and the Canadian government is debating bids from CNOOC and Petronas for Canadian companies, it is important to remember that Canada has a long history of looking outside of our borders for investment.… Read more »
Driving research
Launched in 1996, the Windsor, Ontario-based Automotive Research and Development Centre (ARDC) began as a $30 million joint initiative of Chrysler Canada Inc. and the University of Windsor. The first partnership of its kind in Canada, it has since attracted more than $600 million in investment. The goal of the centre is not only to produce smarter, more durable and safer cars, but to train new generations of Canadian engineers capable of leading-edge research and development in the global automotive industry. The 200,000-square-foot facility, equipped with six road-test simulators, enables Chrysler employees to work side-by-side with a wide range of researchers and students at all levels from the university. Priority research areas include alternative fuels and fuel efficiency, automotive lighting, recycling and corrosion resistance.… Read more »
The right moves
More than 100,000 Canadians live with Parkinson’s disease, a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system that can cause shaking, difficulty of movement and dementia. Although there is no known cure for Parkinson’s, exercise has been found to be effective in mitigating the symptoms.
Sun Life Financial Inc. has committed $250,000 to support research at Wilfrid Laurier University into Parkinson’s disease, as well as other brain-related movement disorders such as Huntington’s disease and Tourette’s syndrome. The Sun Life Financial Movement Disorders Research & Rehabilitation Centre focuses on finding ways to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease through the development of exercise regimes that are proven to benefit a patient’s balance, gait and coordination. With Sun Life’s support, the centre has built a reputation as the top Parkinson’s research facility in Canada.
For more stories like this, click here.… Read more »
