Labs21—A Canadian Perspective
Dwayne A. J. Willmer, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC)
The Canadian Federal Government has a laboratory inventory of approximately 200 facilities located in all regions of the country and comprising 3.35 million square meters. Approximately 25,000 employees are actively engaged in support of the research, science and technology activities in these facilities on behalf of the government's annual investment of approximately $10 billion.
Not unlike other institutions and organizations, the Canadian federal laboratories are experiencing rust-out issues, changing mandates and priorities of departmental programs, significant funding pressures, and competition to attract and sustain world-class talent and research programs. With the significant socio-economic benefits of a vibrant knowledge-based economy supported by world-class expertise and laboratory facilities supporting science and technology, renewed and innovative approaches are being implemented in order to position Canada for future generations.
Through a formal agreement with Labs21, PWGSC has embarked upon a strategic path in collaboration with the Science Based Departments and Agencies to broaden and leverage the best practice, tools, and principles of Labs21 to modernize existing facilities, rationalize inventory, and ensure that the facilities remain world-class, high-performance, energy efficient, safe, and productive assets.
This presentation will provide an overview and context of the Canadian federal laboratory asset base, drivers for change and innovation, and outline some of the initiatives underway in Canada in association with Labs21 and other stakeholders in the laboratory community of practice.
Biography:
Dwayne Willmer, P.E., has worked for over 35 years as a professional engineer in Canada, employed in both the private and public sectors. He is a senior director in the Real Property Branch of PWGSC with a primary focus on providing federal laboratory custodial client departments with a central and national business focus for laboratories. The objective of this role is to ensure that PWGSC provides and sustains the highest level of strategic and technical advisory services, expertise, and best practice in a consistent manner for all custodial laboratory client departments in all regions of Canada.
Mr. Willmer has been associated with the Labs21 program over the past ten years and was responsible for the signing of a formal Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with Labs21 in the fall of 2008. Through the MOU, PWGSC and Labs21 will work together to meet the challenge of the Labs21 mission by sharing world-class knowledge, information, and solutions in all aspects of laboratory planning, design, engineering, and operations. The partnership will capitalize on the strong foundation of collaboration between the United States and Canada in laboratory knowledge management, helping to ensure a more sustainable future, working with the nations' laboratories. PWGSC is working to facilitate the understanding of and access to the Labs21 principles to all federal laboratory custodial departments, other levels of government, industry, and the academic community in Canada.