WATERLOO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 09/21/12 -- The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), today joined hundreds of representatives of Canada's scientific, academic and business communities at the opening of the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre. A new home to the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, and the Universityof Waterloo's Nanotechnology Engineering degree program, the Centre was built with the help of a $25-million grant from the Harper Government.

"The Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre will carry the IQC, the Universityof Waterlooand Canadato new levels of scientific achievement," said Minister of State Goodyear. "This investment underlines the importance that our government places on supporting basic research and strengthening Canada's research capacity."

As part of Canada's Economic Action Plan, the Harper Government provided a $50-million grant to the IQC, $25 million of which supported the construction of the Quantum-Nano Centre. The state-of-the-art facility was designed to meet stringent scientific standards and encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Earlier this summer, Minister of State Goodyear was in Waterlooto announce awards for two IQC faculty members. David Cory and Michele Mosca will share $3.3 million through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Program to establish innovative research training programs for students.

Since 2006, the Harper Government has invested nearly $8 billion in initiatives supporting science, technology and the growth of innovative firms in Canada, including $5 billion for advanced research, education and training; $2 billion for post-secondary infrastructure; and $1 billion for applied research and financing. This funding has helped to make Canadaa world leader in post-secondary education research and to create the knowledge and highly skilled workforce that are required for a more prosperous economy.

For further information about the Government of Canada's science and technology initiatives, visit science.gc.ca.