Carleton University announced it will be opening a centre to connect staff and students with technology development companies in Kanata by early September.
The space, named Hub350, will be built in the Kanata North technology park which hosts 500 companies and 23,000 employees, according to the Kanata North Business Association (KNBA).
The park is home to companies such as Nokia, Mitel, Ciena, Cisco and Blackberry, and has provided over 350 Carleton students with co-op opportunities in the past two years, according to the university’s announcement of the centre.
Dana Brown, dean of the Sprott School of Business, joined the Kanata North Business Association’s board of directors as a member this May. The association represents the park and oversees planning of Hub350. Brown said she believes her new position strengthens the relationship between Carleton and the Kanata North community.
“We need to be in partnership with businesses to help them succeed and thrive,” Brown said. “I want to see how [Carleton] can be a part of that.”
Brown said she envisions Carleton’s space at Hub350 as an accessible space for collaboration and social gatherings open to local businesses and all Carleton students.
Hub350 will have offices for Carleton faculty members, according to Brown. She added the remaining space, which includes a garden terrace and a cafe, will be used for co-working, coffee chats, mentoring and educational initiatives hosted by companies and the university.
Carleton will also offer a certificate program to teach Kanata North workers how to protect their intellectual property.
Helen Lin, a third-year computer science student at Carleton, said Hub350 provides an opportunity for industry and academia to meet.
“The partnership is really symbiotic in that it gives students access to career opportunities and industry connections, but [Kanata North] also benefits from some of the cutting-edge research happening at Carleton,” Lin said. “Additionally, Kanata North companies receive well-prepared and inspired students as interns to help with development.”
In the long term, Brown said she hopes the innovation space will strengthen Carleton’s relationship with companies in the park and increase the number of co-op opportunities for Carleton students.
“I think the connection between universities and businesses is going to be more important than ever. Universities prepare people for work and being engaged citizens in the workplace,” Brown said. “We’re going to need to work more closely together.”
Lin said she is excited to visit the space once it is open and COVID-19 restrictions ease.
“I think with the recent transition to remote work and learning, I and many other students will be wishing for a place to drop by, collaborate and meet new people,” she said. “This space is a perfect medium for that and I expect it to be a vibrant community hub for years to come.”
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
