[News-releases] India and Canada Join Together on Isotopes and Accelerators

[Tim Meyer]

News Release | Embargoed until August 8, 2013, 10:00am PDT

INDIA AND CANADA JOIN TOGETHER ON ISOTOPES AND ACCELERATORS

(Vancouver, BC) --- At a formal ceremony this morning in Vancouver, Canada’s
TRIUMF laboratory and India’s Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC)
laboratory inked a new partnership agreement valued at $10.4 million that
will advance isotopes for science and medicine in both countries.  In
Canada, the ARIEL facility (led by the University of Victoria) will get a
boost from the shared resources and talent, and in India, the new ANURIB
facility will move forward in parallel.  

Nigel S. Lockyer, director of TRIUMF, said, “The Pacific may seem like a big
ocean, but for TRIUMF, India is just around the corner.  This second major
new agreement builds on the alignment between our two laboratories and our
two countries about what is important and how to make a better future for
our people:  next-generation accelerators, new isotopes, and global
cooperation are all part of the solution.”  He added, “I am delighted to
have seen how this collaboration has grown over the last several years. I am
honoured to be working with some of India’s top scientists and one of their
most advanced laboratories, VECC.”

With support from the federal government through its five-year contribution
agreement via the National Research Council of Canada, TRIUMF will be
working with VECC on the design, construction, and testing of
isotope-production systems for the ARIEL and ANURIB facilities at each
corresponding lab.  ARIEL is Canada’s new flagship facility for research and
development of isotopes.  With support from the Canada Foundation for
Innovation and the BC Knowledge Development Fund, the heart of the facility
is a new superconducting electron linear accelerator---the technology of
choice in India’s ANURIB facility as well.  Civil construction of the ARIEL
facilities is nearing completion and TRIUMF and VECC are now working on the
accelerator and target components. 

Dinesh Srivastava, director of VECC, said, “Today is a great day for all of
us.  Working together brings out the best in all of us and these two
projects will provide discoveries, technologies, and jobs that are important
for our countries.  I am delighted to be working with my friends in Canada
at TRIUMF, a world-leading laboratory in isotopes and accelerators.”

The agreement involves the two laboratories and a number of Canadian
companies.  Richmond’s PAVAC Industries, Inc. will be manufacturing the
high-tech cryomodules using technology transferred from TRIUMF through AAPS,
Inc., TRIUMF’s non-profit commercialization partner.

TRIUMF is Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics and
has emerged as a global leader in advancing isotopes for science and
medicine; the laboratory produces exotic isotopes for studying the stars,
probing materials, and tracking the progress of disease in the human body.
Similar to TRIUMF by virtue of operating a major cyclotron, the Variable
Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC) in Kolkata is a national laboratory of the
Department of Atomic Energy dedicated to frontier research and development
in the fields of accelerator science and technology, particle and nuclear
physics, materials science, medicine, and computer science and technology.  

“This agreement is distinguished by how it incorporates science, technology,
and innovation to address important issues such as health, economic
development and trade,” said the Honourable Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Minister of
National Revenue and Member of Parliament for Delta-Richmond East, noting
that Government of Canada officials assisted in approvals. “Canada is
committed to global excellence through strategic partnerships and this is a
great example. My congratulations to both laboratories.”

The Honourable Teresa Wat, British Columbia’s Minister of International
Trade and Minister Responsible for the Asia Pacific Strategy and
Multiculturalism, said, “On behalf of the Government of British Columbia, it
gives me great pleasure to congratulate TRIUMF and India’s VECC laboratory
on this milestone agreement to work together as they make new discoveries
and create jobs. British Columbia has expanded its trade and investment
network in India and our representatives there have played an active role in
connecting TRIUMF and B.C. businesses with new research and development
partners.”


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Timothy I. Meyer, Ph.D.
Head, Strategic Planning & Communications
TRIUMF -- Accelerating Science for Canada | 
    Un accélérateur de la démarche scientifique canadienne
4004 Wesbrook Mall | Vancouver, BC  V6T 2A3 | CANADA
Tel: 604.222.7674
Fax: 604.222.3791
Mobile (w/call fwd): 604.235.1925
E-mail: tmeyer at triumf.ca
WWW: http://www.triumf.ca
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