Thales Canada has consolidated its research and technology expertise at its Parc du Technologique R&D facility in Quebec City with the official opening of its Thales Research and Technology (TRT) centre. Thales Canada has 1,300 employees in Quebec City, Halifax, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver working in the defence and security, aerospace and transportation sectors. In 2011, it had Canadian sales of more than $500 million. The Quebec City centre is the fifth TRT centre in the world and the first in North America. The centre will focus on cyber security, information fusion with smart networks and sensors, intelligence, cognitive engineering, social network analysis, algorithms optimization, mobile platforms, modeling and simulation. It will also increase its research partnerships with organizations such as CRIAQ, PROMPT, GARDN and academia, as well as establish co-op placements for undergraduate students. Thales currently has a five-year, $185 million contract with the Canadian government providing software support for a ground troops command system. Its major Canadian clients include the Department of National Defence, Canadian Coast Guard and Defence Research and Development Canada….