Innovative Projects Realized

Machine Learning for signal processing and pulse sequence design

MRI is one of the most widely used medical imaging techniques. The main challenge with MRI is its low resolution. This is why patients need to stay in the MRI machine for long scan times, sometimes for about an hour. We are developing a software solution that uses our proprietary quantum technology and AI to enhance the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and sensing (NMR). Our software can help speed up MRI scans and help make MRI more accessible and affordable.

Accelerate NFT Fund Portfolio and Structure

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are an early stage, emerging, and exciting alternative asset class with 10x potential but extreme risk. Accelerate Financial Technologies believes that a diversified portfolio of NFTs, built through the Accelerate NFT Fund LP, can generate exceptionally high returns for investors uncorrelated to traditional investments in stock or bonds. The fund will be the first of its kind and will solve key issues for Canadian investors looking to enter NFTs including portfolio diversification, cost, and technical competency. Accelerate is planning to launch this fund in 2022 and could benefit from the use of an intern. The intern will assist in selecting NFTs for the fund and ensuring the best security protocols, all while establishing precedence in this emerging industry. The intern will assist in both areas by conducting research and synthesizing recommendations for the fund operators.

Composite Mats Canada Project

Composite Mats Canada provides access solutions, protection products, rental equipment, and services such as film and event support, project mgmt., sourcing and logistics. CMCI offers sales and rentals of HDPE composite matting systems. These matting systems offer an environmentally conscious alternative to wood, cement and asphalt. We are seeing increased demand for our products and need to assess the manufacturing options available to us.

This project will help CMCI gather information to determine the viability of an HDPE composite mat manufacturing facility while highlighting resources required, potential partnerships, capacity for a new product, and routes to take for energy-efficient operations and environmental initiatives. High-Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) is a thermoplastic polymer made from petroleum. As one of the most versatile plastic materials around, HDPE plastic is used in a wide variety of applications, including plastic bottles, milk jugs, shampoo bottles, bleach bottles, cutting boards, and piping.

This project could help establish a manufacturing facility that would generate new economic benefits to Canada, new products and better access to existing products, that allow for the protection of the environment, fewer imports, greenhouse gas emission reductions, and fewer trees cut.

Creative Strategist, Business Development

This project will allow a start-up organization to brand itself as a leader within the marketplace of accounting professionals.

Business and Marketing Strategy Development for Focus Technologies Inc.

Foqus Technologies Inc. provides Software solutions based on Quantum Information algorithms and Machine Learning techniques to enhance the sensitivity of Magnetic Resonance Technologies such as MRI and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). The challenges to building up a sustainable and scalable business include how to seek the right partners and customers, how to deeply understand market trends, demands, and customer needs, increase awareness, and set priorities based on resources constraints. Therefore, we need to build up a comprehensive business plan, most importantly, develop a thorough marketing and operation execution plan. Ultimately, our goal is to leverage our business plan to find the right investors to help us successfully establish our business. We started the 1st phase of the project that was dedicated to broad marketing research and revenue projection to consolidate our business directions and financial models. With the business model we have developed, we need to start our 2nd phase of the project to develop all the details of the following business development plans including the Go-to-Marketing strategy, operation, and sales plan. The project aims to build up practical plans and support following business development and fundraising activities.

Business Strategy Internship Application

This project aims to identify gaps remaining within the Canadian education technology sector. Although adoption of new technologies for the classroom in recent years have enabled greater collaboration between students and improved lesson planning procedures, it has also shone a light on the limitations of accelerated edtech adoption. The intern will spend her time analyzing the constraints of existing edtech infrastructure, research the unmet needs of underserved student audiences traditionally overlooked, (e.g. kids with specific disabilities), and help educators integrate technology in teaching practices more effectively through specific recommendations.

Vers une perspective (inter)culturelle de l’accompagnement des entrepreneurs migrants: étude des retombées, pratiques, contenus et relations

BridgeMTL, un incubateur sur l’île de Montréal, offre des services d’accompagnement conçus pour les entrepreneurs immigrants désirant s’installer au Québec pour y lancer leur entreprise. Considérant l’importance des facteurs culturels pour un tel accompagnement et l’importance de comprendre ses retombées, cette étude porte sur deux volets principaux :
– L’étude comparative et internationale des structures d’accompagnement pour entrepreneurs migrants, leurs pratiques, ainsi que les programmes gouvernementaux pour accompagnement des entrepreneurs migrants;
– La conception d’un programme de formation pour entrepreneurs et accompagnateurs prenant en compte des facteurs interculturels et visant l’inclusion sociale à long terme (incluant des recommandations des pratiques d’accompagnement).
Pour BridgeMTL, l’étude contribuera à :
– Démontrer les retombées économiques et socio-culturelles des services offertes (et leur contribution à l’inclusion sociale et la francisation des entrepreneurs migrants);
– Bénéficier d’une base de données évolutive intégrant les structures d’accompagnement, leurs pratiques et les programmes gouvernementaux soutenant les entrepreneurs migrants;
– Suivre une formation sur les pratiques d’accompagnement qui prennent en compte des facteurs interculturels et qui favorisent l’inclusion sociale à long-terme;
– Recevoir des pistes de recommandations pour son offre de services, afin de pouvoir mieux se positionner dans l’écosystème entrepreneurial québécois.

Poultry health surveillance in Alberta for prevention of emerging infectious disease Year Two

The broad objectives of this project are: I. To reduce the risk of emerging infectious diseases related to poultry; and II. To improve Alberta poultry industry productivity and profitability. To reach these broad objectives we will address 3 specific objectives: 1) Determine what the knowledge needs of the poultry industry are and how knowledge is best disseminated to improve disease prevention in poultry flocks and preparedness and response to disease outbreaks. We will engage poultry producers from the start of the project and through stakeholder forums and interviews with expert informant interviews will understand the concerns of the producers and what surveillance outputs can best inform their management strategies. Through consultation we will establish the format of the output for producers, other industry input providers (feed producers, processors, veterinarians, academics and government). Throughout the project there will be monthly stakeholder meeting and quarterly stakeholder meetings to discuss progress, address concerns and to seek additional input. This work will facilitate building collaborative relationships between industry, academia, and government agents (An holt et aI., 2012; Horwitz, 2003).

Analyses écoféministes d’une initiative de transition socio-écologique : Le cas du Collectif Solon

Le Collectif Solon est un organisme qui s’intéresse à la transition sociale et écologique. Son but est de proposer
de nouvelles manières de vivre en société pour pallier les inégalités socio-économiques (basées sur l’ethnie, le
genre, la classe sociale, l’âge, etc.). Le projet de recherche a pour but d’étudier leur approche sur les thèmes de
l’équité, la diversité et l’inclusion en s’appuyant sur les théories écoféministes qui font le lien entre l’oppression
des femmes et de différents groupes sociaux et l’exploitation de la nature. L’objectif est de comprendre comment
le Collectif Solon peut proposer des actions collectives plus équitables, diversifiées et inclusives pour répondre
aux besoins des communautés vivant dans le quartier de La-Petite-Patrie à Montréal.

Comprehensive investigation of pesticides in honey, pollen, bees and soil collected from canola fields

In 2018, Health Canada proposed to phase out all agricultural uses of thiamethoxam and clothianidin neonicotinoids. However, after a comprehensive review, Health Canada decided (in March 2021) not to implement any changes for the use of neonicotinoids in canola production. While many stakeholders in the Canadian agriculture industry are pleased that Health Canada changed its original position on using thiamethoxam and clothianidin for canola corps, many (e.g. environmental groups) are not. In addition, many policy makers among various countries (e.g. European Union) have adopted different, and sometimes completely opposite, positions on neonicotinoid regulation.
We strongly believe that evidence-based sound scientific decisions will generate the best long-term policies for pesticide regulation in Canada. To facilitate this we propose to perform the largest, comprehensive study that will accurately document the total pesticide exposome of honey bee colonies based on residues of 93 exogenous and endogenous pesticides/chemicals (including all neonicotinoids) in honey, pollen, bees and soil samples collected from canola fields and boreal regions across Saskatchewan. These data will enable evidence-based policies and recommendations for the best agricultural practices and beekeeping management that will facilitate vibrant, sustainable and mutually beneficial beekeeping and canola industries in Saskatchewan.

Design and Development of Hybrid Renewable Power Plants

The objective is to design and develop different hybrid renewable power plants including wind turbines, photovoltaic system, energy storage, and small hydro power generators developed by Pioneer Solar & Renewables. The main aspect of this project is utilizing of renewable energy resources in the distribution system. This microgrid can operate in two different modes, namely, islanded and grid connected. The islanding operation of the microgrid would be beneficial for those societies that don’t have access to the power transmission lines, remote areas. In the grid-connected mode, the microgrid can support the main power grid during peak hours or critical conditions like temporary outage in one feeder of the distribution system. These hybrid microgrids will be controlled to properly share the loads between the distributed generators based on their ratings. Therefore, each power source will be equipped by an appropriated controller (local controller). A protection scheme will also be considered to protect all components within the microgrid. Finally, a synchronization algorithm will be developed for connecting the microgrid to the distribution system. The following sub-projects will be carried out to complete this project: Feasibility assessment and sizing the microgrid. Designing the battery bank and battery management system (BMS)

Design and development of the Smart Self-Centered Shear Wall (SSCSW) system for seismic control

In order to develop resilience-based earthquake civil infrastructures, a new seismic control system using shape memory alloy (SMA) elements is designed to implement into these structures. Such systems can improve the dynamic behavior of the civil infrastructures and provide their stability under seismic loads by dissipation of the energy, having the self-centering ability, high-deformability, and affordability. The system can be used for the new civil infrastructures or retrofit existing ones.
It is worth mentioning that the system can also help in preserving natural resources, like raw material and fossil energy, which are used to produce the constructional materials, and reducing much less the footprint carbon since the optimum constructional materials are used to meet the building codes and provide enough strength and flexibility.