CGI, a leading global IT services provider, and the HALO Scotland today (Tuesday 14 August, 2018) announces an innovative partnership that will create further employment opportunities at the Kilmarnock urban regeneration initiative.

The agreement will see the HALO and CGI work collaboratively to develop technologies that will provide young people and current workforces with the skills in cyber, digital, space technology, health and finance to needed to excel in tomorrow’s world.

One of CGI’s key areas of expertise is in the space industry and Steve Smart, Vice President of CGI in Scotland, will lead this element of the partnership. Steve has played a key role in CGI’s UK Space, Defence and National & Cyber Security business where he worked  directly with the European Space Agency (ESA). He also led the formation of CGI’s cyber security business, supporting clients in both the public and private sectors.

 

The innovative partnership between CGI and The HALO is designed to:

• Enhance the HALO’s employability initiatives for young people in Ayrshire by harnessing CGI’s technical expertise to focus on cyber and digital skills, supporting the proposed spaceport at Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
• Utilise CGI’s business know-how to support innovative start-up, step-up and scale-up entrepreneurial businesses, particularly those that specialise in cyber and digital technologies.
• See the HALO and CGI establish and develop research and practical learning partnerships with education facilities such as Glasgow Caledonian University and Ayrshire College with a particular focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.
• Engage CGI with Ayrshire College to create a Children’s Innovation Centre/Nursery of the Future and work with students to further develop the concept which will be based at the HALO.
• Develop technologies to support Digital Health and Social Care at a commercial, local and national level.

The HALO Kilmarnock is an imaginative, innovative and inspirational regeneration initiative located on the site of the former Johnnie Walker bottling plant in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire. It is being shaped as a multi-faceted brown-field regeneration that will create a unique urban park with a dynamic commercial, educational, cultural, leisure and lifestyle quarter.

Marie Macklin CBE, Founder and Executive Chair of the HALO Urban Regeneration Company, said: “CGI is a massive global IT provider and I am thrilled to see this industry leader become the latest partner of the HALO’s urban regeneration initiative.

“I am thrilled that CGI, with its extensive experience in the IT and space industry is joining us as part of the HALO project. The HALO will work collaboratively with CGI to support the Glasgow Prestwick Airport spaceport project as the UK, Scotland and, of course, Ayrshire takes significant strides in the space industry.

“CGI will also support the HALO’s continued vision of providing our young people with the cyber, digital and also space skills that will be needed to make an impact in tomorrow’s world.”

 Steve Smart, Vice President of CGI Scotland, said: “Regeneration of this nature, with the opportunities it brings for development and training in our industry, is hugely exciting and adds further to our commitment to Scotland. We very much look forward to collaborating with the team over the coming years and bringing our expertise to such an innovative project.”