OVIN Demonstration Zone Features Live Demonstrations of Leading-Edge Ontario-Made Automotive and Mobility Technologies

MARKHAM, ON – December 2, 2024 – Today, the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) Demonstration Zone (OVIN DZ) proudly hosted Driving Innovation – Automotive Industry Networking and Mobility Technology Showcase, a showcase event in the City of Vaughan, highlighting the latest advancements in made-in-Ontario automotive technologies and mobility solutions. This event brought together more than 100 industry leaders, start-ups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), government officials, and ecosystem partners to celebrate Ontario’s position as a globally leading hub for automotive and mobility innovation.

“Having attracted $45 billion in investments from global automakers and suppliers of electric vehicle batteries over the last four years, Ontario is at the forefront of the automotive and mobility industry,” said Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Through the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network, our government is building on this momentum and ensuring entrepreneurs and innovators continue to be equipped with the tools and resources necessary to drive their success. We look forward to seeing the Ontario-made innovations exhibited at today’s showcase be commercialized and adopted across the sector.”

The event featured live demonstrations of leading-edge automotive and mobility technologies from companies within the OVIN DZ. Attendees had an opportunity to engage directly with the innovators behind these solutions, as well as with municipal departments and stakeholders actively testing these solutions. The event fostered a valuable exchange of insights, where participants discussed the demonstration results, shared lessons learned and explored the tangible impact of these innovations.

The technology showcase included:

Shared, Micro and Accessible Mobility Solutions: Scooty Mobility Inc, RideAlike Inc, Hopin Technologies Inc, and Tappy Technology LLC tested innovative approaches to multi-modal mobility to promote efficiency, affordability, and sustainability.

Maintenance & Delivery Robots: Kevares Autonomous Services and Real Life Robotics leveraged smart sensor technologies and Artificial Intelligence to improve anomaly identification for sidewalk and cycle lane maintenance and showcasing ground robots, equipped with GPS and AI-supported machine learning for navigation and payment capabilities, to enable autonomous last-mile deliveries of goods and services.

Traffic Safety Solutions: Msafe Solutions Inc and NoTraffic Inc enhanced safety on roadways by utilizing innovative data collection, analyzing traffic flow and enhancing safety, laying the foundation for a smarter, more connected city.

Sustainable Charging Solutions: Kiwi Charge and REPWR showcased cutting-edge portable charging solutions to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable transportation.

Parking Detection Solutions: Municipal Parking Services Inc and Loop Parking Technologies Inc showcased advanced technologies with camera vision, real-time analytics, and AI to optimize parking enforcements, reduce congestion, and gather data on traffic and parking behaviour.

In addition, the showcase featured a road patrol solution developed by Iris R&D Group Inc, which uses computer vision and AI to automate road pavement and asset inspection, data collection, reporting and work order generation.

Project Arrow, Canada’s first, original, full-build zero-emission concept vehicle was also on display, representing an all-Canadian effort led by the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) and designed, engineered and built through the joint efforts of Canada’s world-class automotive supply sector and post-secondary institutions.

“As Canada’s hi-tech capital, Markham is home to leading innovative technology companies,” said Mayor Frank Scarpitti, City of Markham. “The OVIN Demonstration Zone allows Markham Centre to be used as a living lab providing companies with a real-life environment to test, develop, and showcase mobility solutions. The technologies advanced in these zones opens the opportunity to expand these mobility solutions to other communities here at home and around the world.”

“The City of Vaughan is to host the Automotive Industry Networking and Mobility Technology Demonstration Zone Showcase. This event highlights exceptional, innovative automotive and mobility technologies, bringing together the best minds in the industry to showcase how we are a leader in the field. Our city has a thriving automotive sector, and we are fast becoming a global hub of smart mobility solutions and a destination for next-generation auto tech. I want to thank the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network for their support and our partners at the City of Markham. I look forward to showcasing all Vaughan has to offer.”

Fueled by a $2.5 million investment from the Ontario government, the OVIN Demonstration Zone is strategically located across the cities of Vaughan and Markham, providing small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with access to real-world environments for demonstrating and accelerating the adoption of transformative automotive and mobility technologies. To bolster this, the cities of Vaughan and Markham provide access to infrastructure, municipal support, and feedback from city stakeholders and end-users, allowing companies to validate and further refine their solutions, and respond to emerging mobility challenges.

“Ontario is the epicentre of automotive and mobility innovation, leading the charge in the adoption and deployment of groundbreaking technologies that will reduce gridlock, support growing communities, and strengthen the economy for generations to come”, said Raed Kadri, Head of OVIN. “The demonstrations unveiled at the OVIN Demonstration Zone are proof of this, showcasing Ontario’s leadership in fostering collaboration with municipalities, SMEs, and industry to drive innovation, bring Ontario-made technologies to market, and reinforce the province’s position as the global automotive and mobility hub of the future.”

Today’s technology showcase culminates the first cohort of the OVIN DZ, positioning companies to continue attracting customers and partners that may potentially adopt and deploy these technologies. Building on its role as a central platform for innovation and collaboration, the next round of demonstrations within the OVIN DZ will feature new technologies that will address key transportation priorities, including advanced transportation infrastructure, sustainable goods movement, future mobility, and data collection, among others. Through these advancements, Ontario will continue to shape the future of transportation and remain at the forefront of the global automotive and mobility landscape.

“The OVIN Demonstration Zone is a shining example of Ontario’s ability to lead the world in automotive and mobility innovation,” said Claudia Krywiak, President and CEO of the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI). “By providing our innovators with access to real-world testing environments and fostering collaboration with municipalities and industry leaders, we are not just showcasing groundbreaking technologies – we are enabling their commercialization and global adoption. Today’s event highlights the ingenuity, collaboration, and investment that make Ontario a global powerhouse in automotive and mobility innovation.”

For more information about the OVIN Demonstration Zone, visit ovindz.ca.

About the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN)

OVIN is an initiative of the Government of Ontario, led by the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), designed to reinforce Ontario’s position as a North American leader in advanced automotive technology and smart mobility solutions such as connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and electric and low-carbon vehicle technologies. Through resources such as research and development (R&D) support, talent and skills development, technology acceleration, business and technical support, and demonstration grounds, OVIN provides a competitive advantage to Ontario-made automotive and mobility technology companies. For more information: https://www.ovinhub.ca

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