Trent University's Iconic Bata Library Undergoing $14 Million Transformation

Two floors of Trent University’s iconic Bata Library will undergo a $14 million transformation into the Bata Research & Innovation Cluster as a result of $8.1 million in funding announced on Wednesday (October 12th) from the federal government’s Strategic Investment Funds and additional provincial contributions.

Photo via trentu.ca

The new Bata Research and Innovation Cluster will include multiple centres dedicated to research and innovation, intensely interactive student spaces, and design elements to promote environmental sustainability.

The cluster will be a nexus of knowledge mobilization that enhances student entrepreneurship, research on aging and the environment, and work with Indigenous peoples and communities.

Photo via trentu.ca

“This significant investment in the infrastructure of our Symon’s Campus will build on Trent’s renowned interactive learning and research model through state-of-the-art infrastructure and environmentally-sound design,” says Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University.

Groarke adds: “The funding received from the federal and provincial governments, combined with commitments from the library and generous donors, will revolutionize the research and collaborations that take place at the Bata Library as it becomes a third millennium research, innovation, and entrepreneurship hub.”

Photo courtesy Trent University

The transformation will be carried out in a way that maintains and enhances a historically-significant building designed by one of Canada’s most renowned architects, Ron Thom. The project will demonstrate ways to combine a commitment to nationally-important architecture with a contemporary need for digital infrastructure and for sustainable design that furthers Canada’s climate change agenda.

The funding used to create the Bata Research & Innovation Cluster will be supported by $7 million in funding from the federal government Strategic Investment Fund; $1.1 million in funding from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, and $3.9 million in University contributions. The final $2 million of the $14 million project will be from a fundraising campaign, with $1 million already raised thanks to a philanthropic donation in 2015 from longtime supporters of Trent University, David and Joan Moore.

Combined with the development of the Trent Research and Innovation Park, this will accelerate Trent's development as a key economic driver in Peterborough, in Indigenous communities, and in Eastern Ontario.

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