Newfoundland and Labrador is a leader in research and development and commercializing innovative technologies. Our research and development facilities employ internationally recognized professionals and have the most advanced technology available. Government and business are continually working together to build on the expertise of our research centres and to ensure the private sector has access to them. Oil and gas, mining, ocean technology, environmental industries, biotechnology, and information and communication technologies constitute some of the areas where co-operative research and development projects have led to new business opportunities.

Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (RDC) is a new Crown entity created to further enhance the province's research and development capacity. Recognizing that research and development is a key driver of innovation, competitiveness and economic performance, the RDC aims to strengthen the focus, quantity, quality and relevance of research and development undertaken in the province and elsewhere for the long-term economic benefit of the province.

RDC announced a major investment through its Industrial Research and Innovation Fund (IRIF) to help fund the Wood Group Chair in Arctic and Cold Region Engineering at Memorial University. This new partnership between Memorial University and the Wood Group will advance the university's expertise and abilities in the study of Arctic and cold region engineering

Memorial University of Newfoundland, the largest university in Atlantic Canada, offers comprehensive course offerings in a large array of subjects on four campuses, including one in Harlow, England. The university has continually expanded its research capabilities with considerable increases in research funding in recent years. Memorial was named number one in the country for research income growth in 2008, making it number one on Canada's Top 50 Research Universities list for 2008 in the Universities with Medical/Doctoral Programs, according to Research Infosource Inc.

Also, Newfoundland and Labrador's public college, College of the North Atlantic, is one of the largest post-secondary educational and skills training centres in Atlantic Canada, with 17 campus locations throughout the province and one in the State of Qatar, an emirate in the Middle East. In addition to the public post-secondary system, the province is home to 24, highly-regulated private career colleges.

Newfoundland and Labrador has established itself as a world leader in innovative ocean technology. A key component of the province's success is a unique partnership of companies, institutions and government agencies known as OceansAdvance. This multi-stakeholder ocean technology cluster initiative ( www.oceansadvance.net ) facilitates world-class capability and aims to make the St. John's region an international location of choice for ocean technology.

Some Examples of our World-Renowned R&D Facilities:

• C-CORE : global corporation providing engineering solutions to clients in various natural resources sectors. Expertise encompasses: ice engineering, geospatial systems, intelligent sensors and geotechnical engineering.
• Canadian Centre for Marine Communications (CCMC): Collaborates with Canadian marine industry in development of products and services in marine communications, navigation and IT.
• Centre for Earth Resources Research ( Memorial University ) : Undertakes research and development activities related to oil and gas, mineral exploration and environmental sciences. It features seismological research facilities, an immersive visualization theatre and analytical geochemistry facilities which are available to the private sector and government researchers.
• Centre for Marine Compressed Natural Gas : Aims to advance CNG technologies to practical applications using versatile dynamic natural gas testing equipment.
• Centre for Marine Simulation (Marine Institute) : Undertakes basic and applied research and development in ship automation, port and waterway design and behavioural studies. CMS comprises 14 marine simulation facilities covering an entire range of training, educational and research and development capabilities.
• National Research Council - Institute for Ocean Technology (NRC-IOT) : Canada 's national centre for ocean technology research and development. IOT employs numerical, model and full scale studies to predict or evaluate the performance of engineered systems in the ocean environment.
• Ocean Engineering Research Centre ( Memorial University ) : Offers research, development and consulting services focused on offshore, ocean and naval architecture engineering. Research specialties include: sea-ice and ice structure interaction, hydrodynamics, wave structure interaction, offshore structures and offshore safety.
• Offshore Safety and Survival Centre (Marine Institute) : Offers a comprehensive range of safety and emergency response training courses to the offshore petroleum, marine transportation, fishing and land-based industries.
• Vale INCO Innovation Centre ( Memorial University ) : Conducts research to develop new or improved methods and technologies for the exploration for and exploitation of mineral deposits.