Ontario home to GM software for self-driving vehicles

OSHAWA, Ont. — Ontario will soon be home to a new software centre tasked with research into self-driving cars, General Motors announced Friday.

Flanked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Kathleen Wynne, officials with the automaker announced the new centre in Markham, Ont., is the latest step in GM’s efforts to establish a strong research presence in Canada.

The company had previously established research-and-development operations in Oshawa and Kitchener, Ont.

Executive vice-president Mark Royce said the industry is on the cusp of major changes as electric and autonomous vehicles gain traction.

He said the company found Canada to be a natural fit for research-anddevelopment expansion.

“We selected Ontario and Canada for this expansion because of the clear capacity for innovation, the proven talent and new talent that we have in this room, an ecosystem of great universities, startups and innovative suppliers that we have here,” Royce said.

The new initiative is expected to create 700 to 750 engineering jobs over several years, bring the total to around a thousand, Royce said. He said new positions would focus on developing technology for vehicle safety and connectedness technologies, as well as autonomous vehicle software and controls.

GM Canada president Steve Carlisle said their efforts will be felt on a global scale. “We see an opportunity for Canada to be part of something even bigger — new, global, innovative supply chain,” he said. “Our Canadian software and technology work has the potential to make its way into the 10 million vehicles that GM designs and produces around the world each year.”

Trudeau hailed the announcement as part of the government’s innovation strategy, and said the arrangement with GM shows that Canada has potential for growth.