Waterloo, Ontario — In the automaker’s largest single donation to a Canadian university, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) has partnered with the University of Waterloo to advance engineering education.
Supported by a $2.1 million investment, the partnership will launch a unique undergraduate engineering innovation challenge and support a variety of student, research and outreach initiatives.
“Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada has a long history with the University of Waterloo, and we look forward to extending this partnership by further investing in their important research and education,” said Fred Volf, president of TMMC. “Toyota shares many of Waterloo Engineering’s research priorities, and we’re proud to be supporting them as they continue to drive engineering innovation forward.”
In recognition of TMMC’s financial support, a wing on the third floor of Engineering 7 building has been dedicated to faculty and student research in additive manufacturing and will be renamed the Toyota Additive Manufacturing Wing.
TMMC will also be the title sponsor of the university’s annual AutoTech Symposium for the next five years. The annual one-day event, now called the UWaterloo Autotech Symposium, presented by Toyota, brings together automotive and information technology innovators, connecting decision-makers across the converging auto and IT landscape.
“Our partnership with TMMC allows our students and researchers to tackle difficult engineering and business challenges facing the automotive industry and come up with truly new and sustainable solutions that will strengthen the competitiveness of the Canadian sector,” said Pearl Sullivan, dean of Waterloo Engineering. “Today’s gift of $2.1 million will go a long way in ensuring that we can offer them the resources and opportunities they need to make a difference.”
TMMC is a past recipient of Waterloo Engineering’s Friend of the Faculty Award. It was presented to the company in recognition of its strong commitment to joint research ventures, financial contributions to student projects and awards, and mentoring and hiring numerous alumni and students.
