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HumanWare sponsors Chair at Canterbury
Tuesday 13 March 2007
HumanWare sponsors Chair at University of Canterbury and joins UCi3
HumanWare – the global leader in assistive technologies for vision, including products for the blind and visually impaired – is honouring the pioneering spirit of its founder, the late Russell Smith, by becoming the fifth founding partner of UCi3, New Zealand’s ICT Innovation Institute.
HumanWare is joining HP, IBM, Jade Software Corporation and Tait Electronics at the Institute, which is based at the University of Canterbury’s College of Engineering.
The company is establishing an Assistive Technology research theme within UCi3 and sponsoring a Chair to recognise the contribution to ICT and education by Dr Smith and his wife Marian D’Eve, who died in a plane crash in 2005.
Dr Smith was the driving force behind the creation and growth of Pulse Data International and its development into HumanWare. Dr Smith, often accompanied by Marian D’Eve, travelled the world tirelessly to help build a fast-growing New Zealand-based company.
Professor Peter Jackson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Engineering), says Dr Smith was a key supporter of the University and of UCi3.
“As an Electrical Engineering PhD graduate from the University of Canterbury, Russell remained a true advocate of the University, serving on the UC Council and assisting the engagement of the University with industry. Marian D’Eve was also strongly involved with UC.
“Russell had demonstrated his strong support for the creation of UCi3 through a letter sent with the original Partnerships for Excellence application. However his death brought an unfortunate but temporary halt to further discussions on collaboration between HumanWare and UCi3.”
In March 2006 Dr Richard Mander was appointed CEO of HumanWare and negotiations were re-opened to explore how the company could further its research capabilities through UCi3 and at the same time recognise Dr Smith’s contribution to the ICT sector and the University.
“We are delighted to have HumanWare on board with UCi3 and look forward to developing the Assistive Technology theme to build upon Russell’s original PhD research which paved the way for the multinational entity that HumanWare is today,” Professor Jackson says.
The Assistive Technology research theme will involve extensive collaboration among HumanWare, the University of Canterbury, industry partners and others in academia to conduct research that identifies technologies, processes, services and programmes which have potential to enhance the lives of people with disabilities.
HumanWare’s current world-renowned technologies include Braille, book reader, text processing and video-magnification solutions.
HumanWare CEO Dr Richard Mander says: ”We’re proud to be honouring Dr Russell Smith and Marian D’Eve while becoming even more closely involved with the University of Canterbury. As a UC graduate myself, I know how important their involvement was both to them and to the University. We are also more than pleased to be joining the other founder companies in UCi3.”
The Russell Smith and Marian D’Eve Chair in Assistive Technology will be announced at a launch function later in the year.
ENDS
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