The University of New Brunswick has received almost $6 million in funding from federal and provincial governments and IBM. The money will go to UNB’s Centre for Advanced Studies to develop new runtime software that will enhance a computer's workflow and function.

The investment, which was announced Tuesday, builds on the university’s partnership with the blue-chip tech company to develop state-of-the-art computer systems.  

“Computers are now everywhere from smartphones to watches and automobiles,”  said Ken Kent of the Centre for Advanced Studies-Atlantic in a statement.

“A huge part of the utility of these devices comes from their connections to each other and to the cloud. By working with IBM we are developing next generation tools and ideas to help build software systems with more functionality, better security, and lower cost.”

The system being developed  is the core platform for all five of IBM's major software brands and is the base software platform for thousands of companies.

IBM has had a central role in the Fredericton tech community since it bought Q1 Labs in 2012 for a reported price of more than $600 million. Aside from other operations, Big Blue's global research and development operations for cybersecurity are headquartered in the city.

The 2012 acquisition ignited IBM’s security division, which is now a $2 billion business employing more than 8,000 researchers, developers and security experts across 133 countries.

The announcement said that the federal government is providing a non-repayable $2,998,054 through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. While IBM contributed $2,656,000 and the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation pitched in $75,000.

Yesterday’s statement said the project is expected to create up to 25 new jobs for research and development.

“With UNB and IBM coming together on this and other related projects, we are confident that together we can drive significant outcomes such as high-quality software prototypes, architectures, patents, position papers, and assessments, not to mention engage and develop important skills that directly influence Canada's and New Brunswick's influence and impact in the global marketplace,” said  Allen Lalonde, the Senior Innovation Executive at IBM Canada.