The Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS) provides mathematical models, software tools, and highly-qualified personnel to assist Canadian firms in key sectors of the Canadian economy.

MITACS is a federally funded Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE) in the mathematical sciences. It was launched in October 1998 as a joint initiative of Canada’s three mathematical institutes: the Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM), The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences (Fields) and The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS).

Networking is key to MITACS activity among researchers in a project, between the MITACS projects and between academics and industry. MITACS provides a unique opportunity for scientists in various disciplines and at various geographical locations to work together. From Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, hundreds of university scientists participate in the network. With this national framework, mathematical scientists, scientists in cognate disciplines and organizations from the private sector can interact. New forms of collective research teams can emerge, and larger scale problems and classes of problems become accessible.

MITACS currently funds research projects, industrial internships, and networking events. Current research themes focus on the following five areas of the economy: the biomedical /helath sector; the environment and natural resources; information processing; risk and finance; communications, networks, and security. Project teams include university faculty, research associates, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and industrial scientists.