Borealis AI – the artificial intelligence research lab created by RBC – has added Kathryn Hume its senior leadership team, as director of business development.

Hume’s remit is to find applications for Borealis’ research within RBC and inform its overall strategy, as well as drive the brand profile of the lab within its target audiences.

Hume joins from Integrate.ai, where she was VP of strategy. Similar to her new role, Hume’s time at Integrate.ai included a mix of product development and marketing duties. Another similarity: Integrate.ai is focused on taking artificial intelligence research and finding practical applications for the tech, which is similar to the way Borealis has approached its research since 2016.

In a blog pst, Hume says one of her main priorities will be bringing some of the practical uses Borealis has already developed into production at the bank itself. She also states that she would like to solidify relationships with academic partners to find more ways to bridge the gap between academia and the business world.

Last year was an active one for Borealis, as it added locations in Vancouver and Montreal to existing labs in Edmonton and Toronto.