MONTRÉAL, November 7, 2002 - An ambitious multidisciplinary research complex will come into being in Montréal in June 2004, thanks to efforts by the Université de Montréal, the École Polytechnique de Montréal, the governments of Québec and Canada, and the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation. This project, which involves an investment of $60.5 million, will take the form of a building dedicated to leading-edge interdisciplinary research in five areas: nanotechnology, biotechnology, aeronautics, aerospace and new materials.
The new building will become the heart of Technopole Montréal, a world-class science and technology centre devoted to the natural sciences and engineering that integrates several aspects of the social sciences and the humanities, and which will implement a new organizational paradigm for research.
"The J.-Armand-Bombardier Building foreshadows the university of the next 40 years," notes Robert Lacroix, Rector of the Université de Montréal. "The growing complexity of the surrounding world, as well as the problems we are faced with every day, make it clear that the adoption of multidisciplinary approaches hold the most promise for the future of scientific research. With this new initiative by the Université de Montréal and the École Polytechnique, this future begins today."
"Our joint funding campaign, A World of Projects, stresses the innovation and creativity essential to any scientific undertaking," adds Robert Papineau, Executive Director of the École Polytechnique. "Constructing a space for multidisciplinary exchanges, like the J.-Armand-Bombardier Building, is a formidable illustration of the kind of innovative projects that can arise from the application of these qualities. We are very proud that this project is taking place next door to the Polytechnique, and we would like to express our sincerest thanks to all our partners."
For his part, the Honourable Claude Drouin, Secretary of State for Canada Economic Development, says "The Government of Canada is proud to announce a contribution of $10 million for the J.-Armand-Bombardier Building. This contribution will be specifically dedicated to the spaces devoted to the pre-incubation of business spin-offs and to partnerships. In light of the various innovative aspects and the resulting benefits for Montréal's economy, the J.-Armand-Bombardier Building's mission is perfectly in line with Canada Economic Development's objectives in the areas of competitiveness and innovation."
"I hope that the name Joseph Armand Bombardier will serve as a source of inspiration for the hundreds of researchers who will spend good part of their active life within the walls of this new building," notes Janine Bombardier, President of the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation.
"We have a particular interest in research, in innovation and in acquiring new knowledge. Our growth and our influence owe a great deal to the training and knowledge our employees have acquired in our universities-particularly at Université de Montréal," added Robert E. Brown, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bombardier.
"These new investments will make it possible for universities to have better adapted space, dedicated to training and research. The level of investment also reflects the Government of Québec's strong commitment toward new technology, research and science," explained Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, the Economy and Research of Québec, Pauline Marois.
"There is no doubt that the successive opening of these major construction sites will mark one of the most interesting times in the development of Québec universities and will make it possible to create significant pools of expertise, making Québec a focal point for attracting new researchers," added Ms. Marois
At the Building's Core: Interdisciplinary Research
The J.-Armand-Bombardier Building will be unique in every respect, the scientific and architectural ones in particular.
With a gross surface area of 16,800 m2, it will initially comprise 6,684 m2 of space for cutting-edge laboratories, organized to foster the grouping of research activities from a variety of disciplines and to enable multidisciplinary exchanges and communication between researchers.
The laboratory block, which will have spaces devoted to partnership development and pre-incubation, as well as a centre for information and communication technologies, will make up the core of the five-storey building. The surrounding areas will be filled with offices, meeting rooms, seminar rooms and informal areas for meetings and exchanges.
An estimated $200 million in scientific equipment will be installed in the new building, which will house 700 professors, researchers, graduate students and professionals. Moreover, the building will feature a special area nanotechnolgies, measuring 24m x 10m x 7m, set aside for the installation of extremely high-precision measuring instruments.
An Innovative Physical Layout
The J.-Armand-Bombardier Building's physical layout will enable the integration of research activities and knowledge transfers, while remaining flexible enough to adapt the spatial configuration to the imperatives of the various research projects to be carried out.
The building will also feature a series of hanging gardens which will spill over from one floor to the next and extend throughout the office spaces. They will maximize the interface with the outside and natural light, and will provide an environment conducive to work, thought and discussion.
An Environmentally-Friendly Building
Although it is being built on a former parking lot, the new building is designed to ensure a harmonious integration with the surrounding environment in the heart of Mount Royal. Moreover, the choice of building materials will ensure aesthetic consistency with existing buildings on the Université de Montréal campus.
Lastly, the building's mechanical systems will be designed with a view to energy conservation. For example, heated and cooled air will be recovered in the return airways used to preheat or cool new air. The circulation of air by the ventilation system will take into account periods of inoccupation. The abundance of natural light will enable savings in terms of energy use during sunny periods.
The J.-Armand-Bombardier Building will open its doors in 2004.
Additional information
The J.-Armand-Bombardier Building's mission is to:
- Create a major centre for natural sciences and engineering that integrates several aspects of the social sciences and humanities;
- Provide graduate students with a high-quality, prestigious research environment;
- Act as a focal point for the convergence of scientific and technological activities, particularly by means of partnerships with the public and private sectors;
- Foster maximal knowledge transfers to users and technology transfers to industry;
- Foster spin-offs, especially via partnerships with government and private-sector laboratories.
To accomplish these ends, it will:
- Ensure the horizontal integration of all its activities, from fundamental research to applications;
- Create multidisciplinary teams that integrate the social sciences and the humanities within new technologies, with a view to developing contents able to compete internationally;
- Equip itself with high-performance knowledge transfer tools;
- Develop research activities in collaboration with industry on a partnership basis;
- Foster business incubators.
Photo available: www.umontreal.ca
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Source: Sophie Langlois
Press Officer
Université de Montréal
(514) 343-7704
