The Canadian automotive sector is one of the country’s largest export industries and continues to invest in new technologies to make vehicles safer. BlackBerry QNX, a business unit of BlackBerry Limited, has been trusted by automakers around the world to protect software, applications, and hardware systems from cyberattacks. QNX technology is embedded in more than 120 million vehicles on the road and is trusted by some of the biggest automotive Tier 1s including BMW, Honda, Toyota, Audi, and Ford. Known for their continuous innovation, BlackBerry QNX has recently received government funding to develop safe and protected software systems for the next generation of autonomous vehicles.
BlackBerry QNX has been awarded $40,000,000 in automotive funding for technology development from the Canadian government’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF).
The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) is a Canadian government funding program that offers industrial and technology-based businesses financial support to fuel company expansion and R&D of processes, products, and services, and facilitates the growth of innovative firms. The SIF funding for BlackBerry QNX will support the creation of hundreds of new jobs and establish Canada as a world leader in automotive software and cybersecurity for autonomous vehicles.
Strategic Innovation Fund Invests $40M in Automotive Software
BlackBerry QNX offers a range of software solutions for the automotive industry to enable current vehicle systems and the next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles. This technology development is allowing Canada to compete for the top spot in the new economy and enhancing the country’s position as a global hub for innovation.
BlackBerry QNX has received $40M in Canadian government funding from the Strategic Innovation Fund, supporting the advancement of autonomous vehicle software.
Funding from the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) will allow the company to create more than 800 new middle-class jobs in the automotive sector over the next 10 years and retain approximately 300 more. New learning opportunities and skills development will be provided to help train workers in Canada for the next generation of jobs.
Additionally, BlackBerry QNX will secure and upgrade communications in vehicles and develop new automated control systems. They will also improve the safety of vehicles by expanding their advanced driver assistance program and will create and use demonstration cars as labs for technology and software development. BlackBerry QNX will be collaborating with post-secondary institutions, private sector firms, and the government on this project.
About the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF)
The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) is a Canadian government funding program uniquely targeted at Canada’s industrial and technology sectors to fuel the research and development of innovative products, processes, and services. Eligible businesses may offset a portion of costs related to strategic investments which lead to sustained productivity, economic benefits to Canada, and long-term competitive advantages within the organization.
SIF offsets up to 50% of project costs in either repayable or non-repayable funding.
There are four streams of SIF funding. These include:
Stream 1: Research, development, and commercialization;
Stream 2: Business growth and expansion;
Stream 3: Investment attraction and retention; and
Stream 4: Collaborative technology development and demonstration.
Applications for Streams 1 to 3 are accepted on a continuing basis. Stream 4 has a deadline of March 1, 2019.
To learn more about the SIF program and discover how to strategically take advantage of automotive grants for technology, download Mentor Works’ Top Trends in the Canadian Automotive Sector white paper.