To put it mildly, the Canadian government is enthusiastic. While it's not funding the research hub (QNX's John Wall says there's a possibility down the line), it sees BlackBerry's work as key to making Canada a go-to source for self-driving car software. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was a key guest at the December 19th inauguration event, where he touted AVIC as both a job creator and crucial to making Canada a "global leader" in autonomous tech.

For BlackBerry, this is a chance to shed its public image as a failed smartphone giant and make a name for itself in a field where even big players like GM and Tesla are just getting started. The problem: AVIC won't be the only development center vying for attention. Apple also has a self-driving software team in Ottawa, and poached at least some of its employees from QNX -- including former chief executive Dan Dodge. BlackBerry will have to convince staff that it's worth sticking around, and that its technology has a bright future in spite of the competition.