Tait Electronics is the prime driver in the establishment of The Wireless Research Centre; an initiative that is part of the New Zealand ICT Innovation Institute at the University of Canterbury.

The New Zealand Government has recently confirmed its funding support for the new national ICT Innovation Institute. The commitments of Tait, IBM, Jade Software and several other companies were critical in the Institute's ability to secure this funding.

As part of this Institute, Tait has dedicated its support specifically to the Wireless Research Centre, an academic centre of excellence intended to investigate new radio technologies.

As well as attracting the cream of the engineering crop from around the world, the direction of the research and the output itself will benefit from the guidance of Tait executives on the Centre's Advisory Board.

"Tait has been strongly proactive in shaping this Wireless Research Centre within the framework of the national ICT Innovation Institute," said Tait Electronics Chairman Sir Angus Tait.

"Our financial support will be based on research projects undertaken and tied to specific outcomes. Of course, money is only part of the picture. Many of those working at the cutting edge of the wireless world are already working for Tait. The opportunities for collaboration between university researchers and those of us 'in the field' will be enormous."

Physically based at the University of Canterbury, the national Institute will be formally launched at a ceremony at the Christchurch Art Gallery in July.

Construction of the purpose-built facility will begin later this year for intended completion in July 2008 with the first research projects expected to come on-stream ahead of this.