C2MI, MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre

The Université de Sherbrooke and its partners, IBM and Teledyne Dalsa have created a microelectronic innovation centre, C2MI. This centre of excellence is slated to be a world leader in microchip and microelectromechanical systems assembly research. The centre includes a design building of 63,000 square feet and another building of 125,000 square feet that houses 30 cleanrooms that are the “cleanest” in Canada.

Due to the nature of the financing, the centre had to be constructed by October 31, 2011. This was a sizeable challenge, given the scope and complexity of the project to be completed in a short 22 months. CIMA+ also had to manage the project’s three key stakeholders, who were from different sectors and had different, sometimes conflicting, goals.

CIMA+ tackled many sizeable project management challenges while designing and building C2MI. We took several important measures to ensure that the project was delivered within the strict timeline and without making any concessions on quality. To that end, we ensured that the project leader was present for all roundtables and allocated resources to stay on the construction site permanently. We documented every major decision made during the project and did not make any schedule compromises. To do this, we advised our client to work on multiple construction sites, without jeopardizing the project’s budget.

Our extensively experienced and skilled employees used risk and value analysis tools in order to advise and guide our client through all of the difficult decisions. Thus our client was always aware of the possibilities and risks weighing on the project, as well as the contingency plans at their disposal to deal with them.

In October 2011, C2MI was delivered to the project partners on time and within budget. It is important to highlight the technical skills required for the anti-vibration slab and cleanrooms. The experts and specialists who came to check and certify the structure were surprised to obtain positive results on the first test, and C2MI will be cited as the pilot project and success model for all of North America from now on.

This undeniable success would not have been possible without healthy and efficient management, exceptional mobilization from all employees working on the project, clear communication throughout the entire project, and the know-how of CIMA+’s project management group.

CIMA+’s standards of excellence were recognized. In 2012 this project received an Association des ingénieurs-conseils du Québec award in the Project Management category.