The gap between healthy banks and those that remain in the doldrums will fuel acquisition activity in the coming years, a Virginia investment management firm predicts. FJ Capital Management published an updated version of a 2011 white paper that argues an M&A wave is coming, even though the activity last year was a letdown. In 2011, 159 open-bank deals were announced, down from 175 in 2010. The rebound could even eclipse 1994, a blockbuster year for M&A following the economic downturn of the late 1980s and early 1990s. That year 526 deals were announced.

Read more : Firm predicts merger wave will swell in 2013 to 2015 as weak banks succumb

Siemens will buy RuggedCom, a Canadian maker of data communications networks systems, for about $382 million, to improve access to markets in North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The deal is Siemens’ largest since it took over Israeli solar thermal fields maker Solel for $418 million in 2009. Anton Huber, CEO of Siemens Industry Automation division, said the acquisition of RuggedCom would improve Siemens’ router and switch products.

Read more : Siemens to buy Canada’s RuggedCom for $382M

McKesson Corp. announced that it is buying a few units of Katz Group, a private Canadian company that operates a retail pharmacy network, in a deal worth $920 million. Specifically, McKesson is buying Drug Trading Company, which has a marketing and purchasing arm for a network of over 850 independent pharmacies that primarily operate under the I.D.A. and Guardian brands, and Medicine Shoppe Canada, which runs a franchise business that provides services to 160 independent pharmacies.

Read more : McKesson takes over Canadian pharmacy network

Industrial giant General Electric has opened a new $50 million aircraft engine testing and R&D centre in Winnipeg that could eventually create up to 50 jobs. The U.S. company said the centre will be run by joint venture partner StandardAero and will perform icing certification testing and develop other tests and equipment for GE Aviation’s aircraft engines.

Read more : GE opens $50M aircraft engine testing centre in Winnipeg

Fujitsu Canada, a unit of Japan-based Fujitsu, is buying TMC, a business and IT consulting company based in Saskatchewan. Financial terms of the deal were not revealed. "The acquisition of TMC enhances Fujitsu Canada’s offerings and consolidates its presence in Saskatchewan, a province that has experienced major economic growth," said Andre Pouliot, president of Montreal-based Fujitsu Canada. TMC has about 70 employees. David Luterbach, president of TMC, said the deal will help boost growth for both companies.

Read more : Fujitsu buys Saskatchewan IT company

The work of McGill University computer science professor Jérôme Waldispuhl is allowing video game players to advance science’s understanding of the genetic basis of such illnesses as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and cancer. The Web-based video game that Waldispuhl’s team has designed, called Phylo, allows players to contribute to scientific research by arranging sequences of coloured blocks that represent DNA. These DNA sequences provide researchers with insight into genetically based diseases. Waldispuhl started about a year ago and has had more than 500,000 visits to the website and has provided a huge pool of about 350,000 solutions to help improve the alignment for 521 genes

Read more : Video game players helping advance genetic research

Alexion Pharmaceuticals agreed to acquire closely held Montreal’s Enobia Pharma Corp. for as much as $1.08 billion, adding experimental treatments for genetic metabolic disorders. Alexion will pay $610 million in cash upfront for Enobia, and as much as $470 million in addition if certain regulatory and sales goals are achieved, the Connecticut-based company said. The companies said they expect the deal to close in the first quarter of 2012.

Read more : Alexion to acquire Enobia Pharma for up to $1.08B

Xerox Corp., a Conn.-based printing company, acquired LaserNetworks, an Oakville, Ont.-based provider of managed print services. Although financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, Industry Canada filings note LaserNetworks has annual revenues ranging between $10-million and $25-million, suggesting the final price tag would be above the high end of that range. Since being founded in 1987, LaserNetworks has been named Profit Magazine’s fastest growing company three times and currently has 189 employees. Under the terms of the deal, founder Chris Stoate will continue to lead the company as the top executive of a Xerox Canada subsidiary.

Read more : Xerox acquires Oakville’s LaserNetworks

Windstream Wolfe Island Shoals said it has signed a binding agreement with Siemens to supply as many as 130 turbines for a 300 MW offshore wind power project on Lake Ontario. The turbine blades will be manufactured at Siemens’ factory in Tillsonburg, Ontario, the company said.

Read more : Windstream Wolfe Island orders up to 130 Siemens wind turbines

Canadian technology to help manage mobile phone bill shock has attracted attention from a major U.S. software firm. Anomalous Networks, a Montreal-based provider of real-time telecom expense management software, was purchased by Tangoe. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, although a regulatory filing made by the Connecticut-based acquirer said the offer included a combination of cash and stock worth approximately US$9 million. Anomalous offers a free app for consumers as well as a paid version for businesses.

Read more : Montreal firm with technology to manage cellphone bills sells for $9M