Research & development

Agfa breaks ground on R&D facility in Waterloo

WATERLOO, Ont. – Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions, announced the construction of a new global Agfa HealthCare Research & Development facility in the Research and Technology Park at the University of Waterloo.

At a ground breaking ceremony, Agfa HealthCare announced that the building will create jobs for local professionals and help the company deliver on its commitment to bring industry leading technologies to the healthcare community that will improve the delivery of patient care in Canada.

“The University of Waterloo is pleased to welcome Agfa HealthCare to the growing roster of partners in the Research and Technology Park, as they are contributing to the economic well-being of Waterloo Region and Canada,” said David Johnston, President of the University of Waterloo. “The park is a striking example of how unconventional collaborations involving academia, industry and government can help create something greater than the sum of its parts. Agfa HealthCare’s new facility will generate opportunities for the area’s highly skilled workforce and help drive innovation.”

In 2009, Agfa HealthCare was awarded a $29.6 million grant from the Ontario government to support its local research & development operations, create 100 new positions and re-invest in 276 existing jobs. The new research & development centre will create an additional 40 positions and provide Agfa HealthCare with the additional resources needed to support its next generation of enterprise-wide healthcare solutions. The facility will also enhance Agfa HealthCare’s ability to build on industry leading initiatives, such as the Agfa HealthCare Institute.

Agfa HealthCare’s Waterloo office is the site of the company’s global research & development arm, producing its leading Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), IMPAX, and other advanced software solutions for hospitals and healthcare facilities worldwide.

“As the global hub for Agfa HealthCare’s research & development, we are very much looking forward to the new opportunities the facility will provide – not only to the local community – but to the healthcare industry as a whole,” said Michael Green, Vice President North America Region, Agfa HealthCare. “The brilliant talent at the Waterloo R&D centre, the continued support from our local partners and the provincial government has allowed us to accelerate our roadmap for growth and bring progressive healthcare innovations to the next level for Canadians.”

Construction of the new facility by real estate developers The Cora Group will commence in March 2010 and is scheduled to be complete in March 2011. The state-of-the-art environmentally “smart-green” building is a LEED Gold certification candidate with specialized insulation, advanced building envelope design, advanced automated HVAC and electrical systems and motion activated indirect lighting included are just some of the energy conservation features.

About Agfa HealthCare
Agfa HealthCare, a member of the Agfa-Gevaert Group, is a leading provider of IT-enabled clinical workflow and diagnostic image management solutions, and state-of-the-art systems for capturing and processing images in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Agfa HealthCare has over a century of healthcare experience related to diagnostic imaging and has been a pioneer on the healthcare IT market since the early 1990’s. The business group has sales offices and agents in over 100 markets worldwide. Sales for Agfa HealthCare in 2008 were 1,223 million euro.

About the University of Waterloo
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada’s Technology Triangle, has become one of Canada’s leading comprehensive universities, running the world’s largest post-secondary program of co-operative education. At 400-acres, the University of Waterloo Research and Technology Park is one of the largest such parks in Canada and one ideally located on the campus of Canada’s most innovative university. The park grows and nurtures new technology, generates thousands of high-quality jobs, and contributes to environmental excellence and the well-being of the community.

Posted February 25, 2010