Western has signed a partnership agreement to facilitate collaboration in areas related to nuclear research, with energy and environmental consultants Kinectrics Inc.
This is the second nuclear memorandum of understanding (MoU) initiative by Western, after the partnership agreement with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, signed on Feb. 14.
The Western-Kinectrics partnership agreement, signed on August 15, will see collaboration in health, safety and security as well as energy and the environment. These collaborations include student training and internships in the nuclear energy sector, research and development and intellectual property protection.
“This partnership agreement with Kinectrics represents an exciting opportunity to further grow our nuclear research expertise,” said Florentine Strzelczyk, provost and vice-president (academic).
“Together, Western and Kinectrics will help ensure Canada remains a leader in nuclear science and technology, contributing solutions to the increasingly global threats related to health, the environment and sustainability,” she said.
The research enabled by this partnership will involve Western’s faculties of Engineering, Science and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. Research areas will include imaging and radiopharmaceuticals; reactors, fuel and power grids; cybersecurity; high-performance computing and artificial intelligence; remote monitoring and sensing, among others.
“The strategic partnership with Kinectrics is an important milestone that builds on decades of nuclear research expertise at Western,” said Dave Muir, associate vice-president, innovation & strategic partnerships.
“This collaboration will help drive science and technology innovation in Canada, as well as achieve research missions across faculties and provide our students with outstanding training opportunities,” he said.
Kinectrics provides lifecycle management services for the electricity industry. Services include engineering, testing, inspection and certification. Kinectrics also has laboratory and testing facilities.
“Diversifying our partnership network with esteemed Canadian universities like Western University, reflects Kinectrics’ unwavering commitment to drive the nuclear industry’s evolution through collaborative research and the cultivation of exceptional talent,” said David Harris, president and CEO of Kinectrics.
