KANATA, Ont. - BlackBerry says it will spend about $100 million developing secure software, hoping to make itself indispensable for the burgeoning self-driving vehicle market.
The company's QNX division, based in Ottawa, has formally opened a research centre for autonomous cars that Blackberry CEO John Chen says could position the firm to sell its software to the entire automotive industry.
While the opening of the centre raises the possibility of government funding for the former smartphone maker, Chen says he doesn't expect significant public investment in the venture.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was on hand for the announcement, didn't mention government sponsorship for the centre.
Chen says he expects Blackberry QNX will hire more than 600 highly paid software developers and other new employees over the next few years, housing them in the firm's suburban Ottawa headquarters.
That's welcome news for Trudeau's Liberal government, which has been banking on the creation of such jobs to bolster the dampened economy.
