A Canadian subsidiary of the Boeing Co. has announced plans to open a data analytics laboratory in downtown Vancouver, B.C., to help the aerospace giant and its customers figure out how to maximize their efficiency and minimize their costs.
The downtown lab will supplement Boeing Vancouver’s operations in suburban Richmond, where 200 software engineers and data scientists are currently employed.
“The expansion represents a natural extension of Boeing Vancouver’s analytics, software development and professional consulting work,” Boeing Vancouver President Bob Cantwell said in a news release issued today. “As one of the largest analytics groups within Boeing, we are well suited to house the new Vancouver Labs, which will focus on delivering data-driven solutions at a rapidly increased pace over traditional development.”
A spokesman for the company, Mike Pound, told GeekWire that 50 data analysts would be working at the downtown location, which is in a converted warehouse on Homer Street in the Yaletown district. Moving day is due to take place next month.
As of today, Boeing is listing four open positions for Vancouver. “There’s room to grow,” Pound said.
Pound said Boeing was opening the downtown lab to cater to a “hip, contemporary” developer workforce. Similar trends have driven the urbanization of the tech community in Seattle, which has become a center for data analytics and cloud computing.
Today’s announcement was made at the Aerospace, Defense and Security Expo in Abbotsford, B.C., in conjunction with this weekend’s Abbotsford International Airshow.
“We’re delighted another tech giant is expanding its work in B.C.,” said Amrik Virk, the province’s minister of technology, innovation and citizens’ services. “Boeing Vancouver is tapping into an amazing talent pool with a long history of delivering great innovations that have made the world a better place. Bringing new ideas to reality and driving the future of tech in B.C. is exactly what we aim to foster as part of our #BCTECH Strategy.”
Boeing acquired the Richmond operation in the year 2000. Back then, it was known as AeroInfo Systems and provided maintenance software applications for the airline industry. Since its acquisition, Boeing Vancouver, a.k.a. Boeing Canada-AeroInfo, has been working on software development and data analytics for other units within Boeing as well as for external customers.
