BlackBerry Innovation Center Opens at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB)

Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) together with Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) officially opened the BlackBerry® Innovation Center at the university’s central campus in Bandung, Indonesia. The BlackBerry Innovation Center will deliver ITB students a host of educational and research programs focused on mobile app development. The ultimate goal of the BlackBerry Innovation Center is to accelerate the mobile computing industry in Indonesia by providing students with the skills, education and experience they need to get jobs and build businesses in the sector.

Hastings Singh, Vice President and Managing Director, South Asia at RIM commented, “RIM is committed to Indonesia, and underlying the substantial investment we are making to establish the BlackBerry Innovation Center, it is our goal to nurture and accelerate mobile application development from the talent within Indonesia.  Today’s ceremony will officially mark the beginning of our successful collaborative effort with the Government of Indonesia and ITB – our thanks goes to all those involved in supporting this pioneering initiative.”

RIM has been working with over 50 universities, colleges and schools across Indonesia through similar initiatives under the BlackBerry Academic Program, which provides materials and content to educate students on BlackBerry mobile app development.The program has laid the foundations for the BlackBerry Innovation Center, which will add additional resources, support, technical expertise, and practical experience to enable students to advance their skills and pursue a career in the mobile computing sector.

Professor Suhono Supangkat, Chairman of the ITB Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development said, “We are delighted to see that this initiative has been brought to life. ITB students have certainly shown their excitement towards the programs, which is evident in the high number of applications we have received from prospective students. We hope the BlackBerry Innovation Center will produce future entrepreneurs and leaders for the Indonesian mobile computing industry.”

As part of RIM’s collaboration with ITB, each year for the next five years, 30 students will be awarded with research scholarships in Mobile Computing.  This year, 16 scholarships have already been granted by the university to Masters and Postgraduate students, with the remaining 14 awards soon to be awarded to talented undergraduate students that are currently completing their final year.

The scholarship recipients for the Masters Program are Firman Azhari, Muhammad Najib, Gradytama Elkana, Atmaji Rangga Adinugroho, Adi Bhasyudewo Kawi, Mirza Adipradhana, Yohanssen Pratama, Gitarja Sandi, Ardhian Ekawijan, Dicky Arinal, Puspoko Ponco Ratno, and Rizky Ario Nugroho. The recipients for the Postgraduate Program are Iqbal Rahmadian Pamungkas, Oktariani Nurul Pratiwi, Susetyo Bagas Bhaskoro, and Iksan Nur.

Scholarship awardees will have their tuition fees paid and also benefit from a research bursary for their period of study at the BlackBerry Innovation Center. Many of the students will also be equipped with a laptop computer and a BlackBerry smartphone to promote mobile learning. During their time at the BlackBerry Innovation Center, each scholarship recipient will receive in-depth training on the BlackBerry development environment, helping prepare them for undertaking a research project spanning one to three years in length.

Referring to the scholarship process, Professor Suhono Supangkat from ITB commented, “The students are selected through a process of interview and evaluation. We are proud to acknowledge the potential of each one of them today, and we welcome them to the BlackBerry Innovation Center.”

For more information about the BlackBerry Innovation Center, please visit: http://id.blackberry.com/ITB/.

Information about scholarships can be found on ITB’s website: http://www.itb.ac.id/en/

About Research In Motion
Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.