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Home > About Us > News Room > News Releases > New VP Research for TRLabs New VP Research for TRLabs
January 08, 2007 -- TRLabs today announced the appointment of Dr. Rainer Iraschko as VP Research, effective January 10, 2007. He will be located at TRLabs Calgary.
"Dr. Iraschko’s network strategy and evolution experience, and his involvement in all aspects of business start-up and expansion as a company co-founder, provides TRLabs with key leadership as we continue to evolve our research program to maximize value for our members – particularly industry," said TRLabs President and CEO Dr. Roger Pederson. "This is a challenging and opportunity-filled time for TRLabs as we transition to a number of new initiatives that will deliver results in the form of transforming new technologies with strong marketplace value, and trained people that feed the growth of Canada’s fastest growing economic sector. Dr. Iraschko’s wealth of experience in both academia and the private sector will be pivotal in moving TRLabs to a new era of productivity and achievement."
"Rainer's move from TELUS to TRLabs is an excellent example of re-investment in TRLabs," said TELUS Chief Technology Officer Ibrahim Gedeon. "This move will ensure continued work on industry-directed strategic activities undertaken by TRLabs. While Rainer will be missed at TELUS, the move is good for the research and development community and the furthering of information and communications technology (ICT) strategic research in Western Canada."
Pederson noted that industry investment and participation is a critical success factor in meeting TRLabs’ mandate. A number of recent research program adjustments have been made to effectively meet changing industry needs and address new market opportunities:
- A shift from technological competency to more fluid arrangement around pressing research challenges with product/market orientation. To date, this has generated vertical market research orientation in Home Tech (network extension), and Health (network application);
- Expansion of digital media research activity;
- Subscribed research activity that creates opportunity for industry to pursue shorter-term research of interest to specific industry members;
- A new membership structure that lowers barriers to participation in research and development activity, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises;
- Creation of an industry-led Research Advisory Board, and Research Focus groups, to drive industry-relevancy;
- Modified IP policy that creates a negotiable range of IP ownership.
"In today’s lean and globally competitive ICT sector, dynamic, responsive, accelerated innovation is in demand by industry," said Pederson. "We are positioning TRLabs to nimbly address the multi-faceted needs of industry by creating a single window into ICT research and development. To accomplish this we will do two key things. First, we will recognize increasing industry focus on technology development and commercialization with a shift to a balanced service offering of applied research, development, and commercialization activity. Second, we will work to build our local, regional, national, and international relationships to effectively connect industry to research, development and commercialization resources available elsewhere."
As for the future focus of research activity, Pederson noted that today’s market is fundamentally different than a few short years ago – transforming from a focus on building networks to consumer and industry demand for applications and experiences that leverage ubiquitous connectivity, computing power, and networking technology. Convergence and integration of technologies, vertical and niche markets, and applications are anticipated to become the new language of marketplace opportunity.
Dr. Iraschko is a TRLabs alumnus, completing his Ph.D. in 1996. While at TRLabs, he co-invented a network restoration technology that holds three active patents. He has three patents pending from his private sector experience.
TRLabs has historically been Canada’s most industry invested R&D organization, which is reflected in a leading commercialization rate of 30% of the 1,100 technologies developed at TRLabs since inception in 1986.
About Dr. Rainer Iraschko
Dr. Rainer Iraschko holds a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto. Upon graduation in 1997, Dr. Iraschko joined MCI’s Network Technology Development group. Here he investigated methods to increase the survivability and efficiency of MCI’s North American transport network. When WorldCom bought MCI, Dr. Iraschko moved to Silicon Valley to launch ONI Systems. As Senior System and Network Architect, Dr. Iraschko was involved in the design and development of ONI’s optical transport equipment. Within 3 years he helped ONI grow from a small startup to a public company with a market capitalization in the millions. Dr. Iraschko left ONI in 2001 to open an office in Calgary, Canada for Network Photonics Inc. Two years later Dr. Iraschko started AccessNetware Inc, a company intent on delivering broadband access solutions. In 2004, Dr. Iraschko joined TELUS’ Technology Strategy team as an Optical Networking Strategist responsible for defining a strategy for the evolution of TELUS' transport network.
About TRLabs
TRLabs creates innovative technologies and trains students to enhance ICT expertise and improve Canada’s global competitiveness. Labs in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, and Winnipeg employ 210. With 50 partner members representing a unique synergy of industry, government, and university, technology and applications research focuses on future network needs and demands in areas such as: data networking; digital media; health; home technologies; network systems; photonics; and wireless communications. In its 20-year existence, TRLabs has trained 840 highly skilled university graduates, created 310 technologies adopted for use by companies, and generated 161 patents issued or filed.