Mitacs Support Accelerates Canadian Robotics at Avestec

The challenge 

As a Canadian robotics company started in 2017, Avestec was created to fill a critical gap in the market: technology to meet regulatory requirements for industrial inspections. Without proper and routine inspection in industries such as oil and gas, a safety incident can be catastrophic and cause ecological damage. Emerging energy sources, like hydrogen, are also demanding more precise and safe inspection technology.

The solution

As a pioneer in the robotic drone inspection market, Avestec designs and builds intelligent flying robots for industrial inspections in hard-to-reach spaces. Mitacs provided funding and support towards the development of Avestec’s SKYRON tethered drones. This technology can perform highly accurate (centimetre-level) non-destructive testing within enclosed metallic environments, where GPS navigation typically fails.

By replacing dangerous and time-consuming manual applications, SKYRON’s applications span oil and gas, marine, mining, and renewable energy industries. The tool’s primary feature is its capability to conduct repeatable contact-based ultrasonic thickness measurements of industrial assets such as storage tanks, ship hulls, and offshore assets.

“We revolutionize inspections by making them safer, faster, and more cost-effective—while delivering intelligent reporting, digitizing assets, and enabling evidence-based decision-making,” said Dr. Reza Tavakoli, CEO, Avestec.

The Outcome

Avestec is helping position Canada as a leader in next-generation robotics solutions. The global market for autonomous inspection robots was valued at Can$603 million in the year 2024 and is projected to grow to Can$1.1 billion by 2031.

Avestec is driving Canadian innovation in industrial automation by reducing inspection costs with robotic drones that can boost productivity through safer, faster, and more precise asset management.

Talent in Action

With Mitacs support, Avestec has been able to access elite students and researchers to further support innovation. Beyond staffing support, Avestec has benefited from access to space and tools available at major educational institutions and flexibility in funding through Mitacs programs.

Currently, three of the full-time employees at Avestec were hired after completing their Mitacs-supported internship programs. This is a significant portion in a company of around 25 full-time employees, said Tavakoli.

“Hiring is a major challenge for a company our size,” said Tavakoli. “Having an intern minimizes time spent on hiring, as well as mitigating any risks because Mitacs programs create opportunities to work directly with the interns before bringing them on staff. Across our company – from mechanical to software development – we can see the footprint of Mitacs’ ongoing support.”

Mitacs’s programs receive funding from multiple partners across Canada. We thank the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon for supporting us to empower Canadian innovation.

Do you have a business challenge that could benefit from a research solution? If so, contact Mitacs today to discuss partnership opportunities: [email protected].