Ryerson University receives $30-million for Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst
Officials from Ryerson University, Rogers Communications, FedDev, the federal government, City of Brampton and RBC at the announcement of $30-million investment for the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst. Photo: Alyssa Katherine Faoro.
On Friday, June 14, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister for FedDev Ontario, announced from Brampton that Ryerson is receiving $30-million to support Ryerson’s Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst.
The Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst is a national centre for collaboration and innovation in cybersecurity. It will create more than 790 skilled jobs over the next five years by providing training to workers from demographic groups that are underrepresented in cybersecurity and current cybersecurity professionals.
Ryerson University President Mohamed Lachemi noted that Ryerson has a remarkable opportunity to help make Canada a leader in one of the nation’s fastest-growing economic sectors. “Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst will provide training, commercial acceleration, support for applied research and development, public education and policy development, all with a focus on helping make Canada a global leader in cybersecurity,” he said in a statement.
“We look forward to working with [our founders] and with collaborators across industry sectors and in many other post-secondary institutions, to tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities of cybersecurity in this fiercely competitive global economy.”
The funding is a collaboration between industry, government and academia. FedDev Ontario and Rogers Communications both provided $10 million in funding respectively, while Royal Bank of Canada and the City of Brampton rounded out the funding with $5 million each.
Steven N. Liss, Ryerson’s vice-president, research and innovation, spoke to the importance of collaboration. “Ryerson University is a leader in innovation and the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst exemplifies our commitment to collaborating with the other founders on issues of national importance,” he said. “This major development in the Canadian cybersecurity sector will transform the digital space and strengthen Canada’s position as a global security leader.”
As for the future of the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, executive director Charles Finlay says, “We are now fully engaged in creating the unique and important programs that will be supported by this announcement. The best is yet to come.”
The Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst is owned and operated by Ryerson, and as Steven Liss noted, it has substantial connections to the university’s faculty and students. The Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst will open a physical space in Brampton later this year.
For more information on the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, visit https://www.torontomu.ca/cybersecure-catalyst/.