Switching gears, Canada’s BlackBerry to open autonomous vehicle hub

U-turn: Blackberry is expanding subsidiary QNX's Ottawa facility to focus on developing advanced driver assistance and autonomous vehicle technology.

OTTAWA: Canada's BlackBerry Ltd will open an autonomous driving research centre on Dec 19, as it tries to make itself an indispensable under-the-hood piece of the automotive industry's weaponry in the self-driving vehicle arms race. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend the launch by the Waterloo, Ontario-based smartphone pioneer, the prime minister's office said on Dec 18. A Blackberry spokeswoman deferred any comment on the project until Monday.