Annual Report 1999/2000

Chairman's Message Creating International Opportunities through ISIS Technologies Rarely does a Chairman have the opportunity to report continued success, year after year. Not only is ISIS Canada fulfilling its mandate, it continues to excel and surpass established milestones. In the process it is benefiting Canadians and creating international opportunities. Such progress is possible because the focus of ISIS is to maintain a world leadership position through solution-oriented research. The value of the research lies in its practical applications, and the past year presented many new opportunities for Canadians to utilize ISIS developments in fibre optic sensors and fibre reinforced polymers. ISIS Canada is attuned to the voices of many people: infrastructure owners, contractors, consulting engineers, suppliers, scientists and politicians. Their words aren't the same but their conviction is - the infrastructure crisis must be properly managed. ISIS is endeavouring to make a substantial contribution in this regard. From the outset, ISIS recognized that there is no point in cultivating new ideas and developing innovative technologies through an extensive research program if the demand to utilize the results is limited. The past year has been very encouraging in this regard, with receptor capacity of the infrastructure sector gradually improving. But there is much more that has to be achieved. Consequently, ISIS continues to increase its emphasis on technology transfer to further enhance the utilization of advanced composites in infrastructure construction and rehabilitation. An important contribution in this regard has been the substantial progress made in the preparation of design manuals, which are a precursor to widespread utilization by the engineering community. Having just completed five years of the initial funding phase, an ISIS working group is in the process of formulating a research program and technology utilization proposal to be submitted to the NCE for funding the next phase from 2002 to 2009. An impressive balance between research and technology utilization is evolving with increased emphasis being placed on the long-term benefit to Canadians. The ISIS Canada Network is destined to make a difference. Exports are extremely important to the economic well-being of Canadians. Accordingly, the ISIS Canada Network is to be congratulated for efforts made over the past few years to expand and enhance international collaboration on finding solutions to the global infrastructure crisis. Such collaboration not only enhances the research program, but provides opportunities for Canadian engineers and contractors to export these new technologies. ISIS continues to make great progress on all fronts. At the same time as the world changes around us, ISIS Canada is experiencing a change of leadership. Dr. Sami Rizkalla recently accepted a challenge elsewhere and will relinquish his position as President as of September 1, 2000. He will continue to serve ISIS as Past-President and complete his current research projects at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Rizkalla will always be known as the founding President and driving force which launched the ISIS Canada Network as a global leader in the research and application of fibre optic sensors and advanced composite materials in civil engineering structures. He will be missed. Fortunately, Vice-President Dr. Aftab Mufti has agreed to take over the leadership in the fall of 2000, ensuring that ISIS Canada continues to be in good hands. Donald W. Whitmore, P.Eng. Chairman of the Board

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