Markham, ON: General Electric announced the opening of its newly constructed Grid IQ™ Global Innovation Centre in Markham, Ontario October 2. The 200,000 square foot facility is designed to foster innovation and global collaboration to improve the efficiency, reliability and security of the world’s electrical grids. The $40 million project is supported by a grant of $7.9 million from the Government of Ontario.
The new facility includes 100,000 square feet of production space and will help GE meet both current and future product demands as utilities around the world continue to look for ways to improve their energy infrastructures. To support that growth, the facility also incorporates onsite research, test and simulation laboratories giving GE engineers easy access to the tools needed to help utility and industrial customers solve tough energy challenges. The building includes a technical training centre providing both onsite and distance learning offerings for GE employees, partners and customers.
One of the most innovative areas of the facility is the Grid IQ Customer Experience Centre and application showcase, which allows customers to take an interactive, immersive look at GE’s full suite of energy management tools on a 60 foot video wall.
“The opening of the Grid IQ Innovation Centre in Markham is our third centre for innovation in Canada this year,” said Elyse Allan, President and CEO, GE Canada. “Executing and commercializing innovation is essential to driving economic growth and productivity. We appreciate the support and leadership from the Province of Ontario to make today’s opening a reality.”
The Grid IQ Innovation Centre builds on a Memorandum of Understanding GE signed with the Ontario government in September 2009 to partner and invest long-term within the province to establish new or expanded centres of technology and advanced manufacturing. Under the MOU, GE has opened the company’s first Digital Pathology Centre of Excellence in Toronto, and has made investments for advanced manufacturing and training in the GE Motors, Peterborough facility.
GE’s other Canadian innovation centres include a recently opened Customer Innovation Centre in Calgary, Alberta; the Aircraft Engine Testing Research and Development Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and a new Aviation robotics facility in Bromont, Quebec, which will open in early 2013.
Coincidentally, IBM announced the launch of the Smarter Energy Research Institute in Yorktown Heights, NY on October 25. Similar to the GE facility, IBM describes the institute is a new industrial research collaboration model aimed at accelerating innovation across the global energy and utilities market. Hydro-Quebec, Alliander (Netherlands) and DTE Energy (USA) joined as the first members.