It’s not hard to imagine that in the future, self-driving cars will become the norm. This isn’t a surprising development as self-driving cars will most likely lead to safer roads as cars will (mostly) be driven at uniform speeds, and will probably have quicker reaction times compared to human drivers who can sometimes be distracted.However such cars have yet to officially hit our roads in a mainstream kind of way, which means that there is plenty of opportunity for companies to get in on the ground floor. Turns out that BlackBerry is interested as the Canadian government has invested $40 million into the company to help spur the company’s autonomous vehicle development.
This is part of the Strategic Innovation Fund that is designed to help encourage R&D in the country. According to Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, “The race for a top spot in the new economy has already begun, and if we want to see Canadians take the lead, we need to have their backs. This investment will create 800 good, middle-class jobs for Canadians, make our cars safer and more secure, and further position Canada as a global hub for innovation.”
Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development adds, “BlackBerry is trusted by automakers and Tier 1s around the world to protect hardware, software, applications, and end-to-end systems from cyberattacks. Thanks to the Canadian government’s commitment we’re now in an even stronger position to deliver on the demand for BlackBerry’s safe and secure QNX software. Together we will spur innovation, create great jobs, educate the workforce of tomorrow, and solidify Canada as a world leader in automotive technology.”
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