In September 2018, NAIT’s Productivity and Innovation Centre (PIC) opened its doors as the polytechnic's new front door to industry and business. Its sole purpose is to serve this community, helping it become more competitive and productive. Construction began in October 2016.
Located at the eastern edge of Main Campus, PIC is 17,650 square metres (190,000 square feet) in size, making it one of North America's biggest innovation spaces. It was made possible thanks to an investment of $34.9 million from the federal government’s Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was on hand to announce the completion and opening of the building in September 2018. “I knew that [the investment] would produce great results. Today, that’s clearly the case,” said Trudeau, standing in the centre of PIC’s A wing, a huge, collaborative work space flanked by labs.
A primary function of the A Wing is applied research, which is industry driven. It's an enormous space designed to accommodate activities on a scale that suits the needs of industry. Among the research tools are the blue box (left), an environmental chamber that can be used to test products at different temperatures, and, beyond the door, one of North America's few large-scale 3d metal printers.
Credits:
NAIT staff