Multinational technology company Siemens will establish a cybersecurity center in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The venture is expected to create up to 30 highly skilled jobs in the Canadian province by 2020 with another 30 jobs in Phase 2, and will also support training, education and research and development. The new positions are expected to be in engineering, cyber analysis and consulting.
“Your government’s multi-year economic growth plan has identified cybersecurity as a growth opportunity,” said Premier Brian Gallant. “It is great to see Siemens joining a growing list of companies that are transforming New Brunswick into a cybersecurity research and innovation hub in Canada.”
The Siemens Cybersecurity Centre, to be housed at Knowledge Park, will bring together Siemens’ expertise in critical infrastructure protection with New Brunswick’s emerging cybersecurity ecosystem, creating potential for global exports of locally created Internet protocol, methods and technology.
“Cybersecurity is crucial to the success of the digital economy,” said Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser. “Businesses and governments need to join together in order to keep pace with continuous advances and threats in the market. Our investment in New Brunswick is an example of how taking action and working together will help secure a digital future.”
The project will have two phases. Phase 1, which begins immediately, involves the initial opening of the center and the hiring of up to 30 people. Another 30 employees could be hired during Phase 2, which could begin as early as 2020. The creation of up to 30 new jobs during Phase 1 is expected to add $17.1 million to the province’s GDP over seven years.
To support the establishment of the center and the new jobs in Phases 1 and 2, the company is eligible for assistance of up to CAN$3.6 million from Opportunities NB. Up to CAN$2 million of this funding is in the form of payroll rebates, which are performance based and only disbursed to a company once it has created and maintained the jobs for one year and provided proof of salary levels and employment.
Siemens currently has offices in Moncton and Fredericton, as well as a global Smart Grid Centre of Competence in Fredericton that was established in 2012 to integrate Smart Grid technology into the province’s electrical system.
