Editorial 31-5

After several years of low-profile, leading-edge activity, the Communications Research Centre is once again at the forefront of Canadian research and innovation. In addition to pioneering the use of the cloud to conduct public R&D, it has launched a ground breaking Big Data Analytics Centre which is being billed as the world’s first innovation laboratory for telecom regulation and dynamic spectrum management.

The launch of the centre prompted Innovation minister Navdeep Bains to make his first visit to the CRC, which has a stellar history going back to the early days of space flight. The data analytics centre utilizes chip technology from Waterloo’s Cognitive Systems and big-screen systems from Kitchener’s Christie Digital to process and visualize massive amounts of data from multiple sources This allows , CRC scientists to be predictive, rather than reactive, in how precious public spectrum is allocated.

The most obvious uses — mobile wireless networks, autonomous vehicles — are only the tip of the iceberg in how CRC-enabled technologies can be utilized. The plethora of ways in which big data can be deployed is being examined across government and beyond, with the prospects of new breakthroughs and efficiencies now within reach.

CRC epitomizes the kind of contributions federal in-house R&D can contribute to Canada's aspirations to become an innovative economy and society. By collaborating with Canadian tech firms, it delivers on the benefits of government as a first customer, giving companies like Cognitive Systems the credibility to seek customers globally.

It was a point Bains was quick to make in his remarks at the launch, describing the impact of the data centre as an example of what the new Innovation and Skills Plan is aiming to achieve. With the pending launch of Innovation Canada and the superclusters competition, those objectives will hopefully become more transparent.

Mark Henderson, Editor