Innovative Projects Realized

Création de gabarit d’extraction de données semi-structurée de documents par méthodes d’apprentissage machine.

Cette recherche consiste en l’application de techniques d’intelligence artificielle pour créer des gabarit qui serviront à l’extraction de données de formulaires (en format images ou PDF) dans le domaine de la gestion. Une combinaison de méthodes d’apprentissage automatique (intelligence artificielle) et de méthode d’ingénierie traditionnelles seront utilisés pour ce projet. Il est également fort possible que de nouvelles méthodes d’apprentissage automatique soient créés. De façon plus détaillée, ce projet consiste en l’extraction des données de factures et autres documents afin de les stocker ultérieurement de façon automatisée dans des bases de données. Le système doit permettre l’extraction des données de documents multilingues.

BC Hydro – Sourcing and Category Management Internship – James

Keeping the lights on for over 4 million people across the province takes a lot of talented people doing many different jobs, from working deep in a generating station, atop a power pole, or behind a desk. We’re working on upgrading transmission lines, building new substations, and investing in our hydroelectric generation facilities. It’s our vision to be the most trusted, innovative utility company in North America by being smart about power in all we do. BC Hydro’s Supply Chain function is integral to keeping the business running and the lights on. The Sourcing and Category Management Interns will lead projects aimed at ensuring that BC Hydro is taking smart steps when it comes to what and how we purchase, how we source items, and how we can work more strategically with our suppliers in order to deliver on our long-term vision. The intern on this project will work collaboratively in a professional team, where the focus will be on developing a category management strategy. This strategy will ensure to establish additional suppliers in order to support our future electrification projects.

Understanding Catalyst Ink Interactions and Aging Effects for High-Volume Fuel Cell Production

The increased global demand for energy coupled with the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has rendered the development of the hydrogen economy a top priority for governments internationally. In Canada, the goal is for hydrogen to provide up to 30% of the energy demand by 2050. In this context, the devices required for hydrogen energy systems, such as fuel cells, must be produced using cost effective, scalable methods. The proposed project will form a new research partnership between Unilia (Canada) Fuel Cells and Simon Fraser University to conduct strategic research investigations aimed to design better catalyst inks and coating approaches to improve the quality and reduce the cost of high-volume fuel cell manufacturing.

Norsat International Inc. – Supply Chain Intern – Huong and Chidinma

Founded in 1977, Norsat International is a leading provider of innovative communication solutions that enable the transmission of data, audio and video for remote and challenging applications. Our products and services include customizable satellite components, portable satellite terminals, maritime solutions and satellite networks. Norsat International is consistently ranked among the top technology companies in Canada and the top 100 companies in British Columbia. We are headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia and we also have a facility in Aurora, Ontario. Norsat was acquired by Hytera Communications in July 2017, but it remains an independently operated Canadian subsidiary of Hytera. For the duration of this project, the interns will share powerful experiences with different team members at Norsat, ranging from the CEO, to the Supply Chain & Operations Manager, the HR Manager, and the Purchaser and Supply Chain Specialist. The project will create an extensive learning exposure for the three interns, whom will attend, among others, development and mentoring sessions. Our organization will benefit from add value through the specific knowledge the interns will bring on board and through their unique and fresh perspective.

Hardy Sales – HR Intern – Gursimran

Hardy Sales Ltd. is a local and family owned business that started in 1982. We sell and distribute meat, deli, seafood, and bakery items to grocery stores, restaurants, and producers across Western Canada. We have an office and cold storage facility in Langley, BC and Calgary, Alberta. In addition, we provide flexible marketing support to our grocery chains. has grown into one of Western Canada’s leading perishable food distributors. By constantly developing new product offerings and implementing new processes, we ensure to regularly improve our customers’ experience. We want to audit our current onboarding, training, and continued development processes and come up with new cost-effective ways to maximize operational efficiency in terms of our HR policies.

Testing and Further Development of a Predictive Radioactivity Transport Code for CANDU Reactors

Knowledge of elemental and radioactivity transport around the primary side of a Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) nuclear reactor and the radiation fields arising from the distribution of deposits around the circuit can be used by radiation monitoring and protection programs to assist in the planning and execution of maintenance, inspection, and refurbishment activities. When incorporated into predictive modelling, this supports minimizing dose exposure to station workers. Intern 1 (Worapol) will use a mechanistic activity transport code to incorporate kinetic data obtained from experiments performed by Intern 2 (Vichaiyut) and add to the code by incorporating equations for the activation of zirconium and niobium materials inside the reactor core. Intern 2 will perform high-temperature flow-through loop experiments, simulating primary circuit conditions. The kinetics of magnetite precipitation on primary-side alloys will be studied, with the focus of calculating the temperature dependence of the precipitation constant. Intern 2 will plan experiments, receive training on operating the test loop, characterize the oxide grown on the piping surfaces, and calculate the growth rate, allowing for determination of the precipitation constant, at various temperatures.

Effects of biostimulants on soybean responses to abiotic stresses during germination and emergence.

This project will investigate the effects of biostimulants on the response of soybeans to abiotic stress (frost and drought) during germination and early development. The ability of the biostimulants to improve the stress response of soybean will be assessed by comparing the germinative vigor, nitrogen fixation within root nodules, growth and development of roots and shoots, and nutritional status of plantlets. In addition to using biostimulants to improve soybean response to frost and water stress, we will also determine which soybean varieties are most tolerant to cold temperature or drought based on their genotype variability. The goal of this project is to determine which biostimulants are the most efficient and which soybean varieties are the most adapted to grow in the climatic conditions in Normandy.

Improving access to chronic pain care: A pilot window-of-opportunity study of the Power Over Pain Portal at The Ottawa Hospital

Chronic pain (CP) affects 1 in 5 Canadian youth and adults. It is not uncommon for individuals to wait months or years to receive the care they need. Power Over Pain (PoP) is an online portal which offers evidenced-based resources for people living with pain (PLWP), ranging from low-intensity (e.g., pain education) to high-intensity (e.g., individual counselling), available as needed. Participants of this study will be recruited from The Ottawa Hospital Pain Clinic (TOH). PWLP will be asked to complete questionnaires about their pain, self-efficacy, coping, attitudes, etc. when starting the study, as well as at 3-month and 6-month follow-up. A smaller group of these individuals will be asked to complete an interview to understand user experiences with PoP. Researchers will look at the feasibility (recruitment, integration, facilitators and barriers, patient engagement, usability, and acceptability) of the portal implementation for people living with CP awaiting a first visit at TOH.

Fisheries entanglement mitigation for the conservation of large whales in Atlantic Canada

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Lignosulfonate profiles in the neutral sulfite semi-chemical (NSSC) pulping process and effect on the anaerobic treatment of wastewater

Lake Utopia Paper is interested in developing and improving the birch NSSC pulping process for the production of corrugating medium. The primary objective of this project is to develop delignification and sulfonation models for process control of NSSC pulping of birch. In addition, the relationship between the NSSC pulping process and the properties of the final product (pulping efficiency, yield and pulp properties) will be established. Through further development of the NSSC pulping process, it will improve the economic performance of the company and allow them to remain competitive in the international market. The result from this research project will not only benefit the Lake Utopia Paper, but also other Canadian Pulp and paper industries.

Developing Travel Mode Choice Models and Simulation Tools Incorporating Autonomous and Micro-mobility Services for a Smaller Canadian Municipality

Newer travel modes such as shared e-bikes and autonomous transit have/are emerged/considered to be low-cost, accessible and sustainable travel options. However, data and models to support evidence-based planning and policies for the effective deployment of these innovative transport options for smaller municipalities like the City of Kelowna is rare. This research fills a critical gap in developing transportation models and simulation tools incorporating the effects of newer and futuristic transport modes. In particular, the project will explore existing active and shared transportation options such as shared e-bike, shared e-scooter and conventional transit services, with a focus on autonomous transit vehicles being deployed along an active transportation corridor. To achieve this, the interns will develop travel mode choice models that will include these newer modes of transport, and microsimulate the usage of these emerging transport modes. The models and recommendations developed in this project will be used by the partner to better understand the evolving needs of their transportation systems, allowing them to develop sustainable transportation plans and policies to harness these changes in the most productive way.

Business interns within cross-functional teams to develop and commercialize AI-powered solutions – Part 3

AltaML is an innovative company capitalizing on a major technological trend: artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, enabled by big data, are driving a fourth industrial revolution. AI will transform all industries, but traditional industries face challenges in implementing AI. AltaML has a unique business model to overcome barriers to adoption of AI solutions by industry, which is to bring the innovating startup together with the large organization, thereby bringing together rich datasets, AI talent with a playbook for industry application and the close collaboration of subject matter experts and AI experts–with a mindset for change. In addition to AI expertise, we bring agility that our large, corporate partners often lack, and which is so essential for innovation. With a strategic focus on AI adoption and product, AltaML works across industries as well as with the public sector using a co-development approach to create applied AI solutions as well as joint AI ventures. This rich, complex multisectoral environment provides the breadth that enables insights in one area to be applied in new areas, leading to ever increasing opportunities for innovation.

The project comprises internships in a variety of technical and business roles, which are: associate machine learning developer, business development associate, communications associate, finance associate, associate business solutions consultant, and project delivery associate. Outcomes will include algorithm creation and deployment, data visualizations, market research reports, sales collateral, competitive landscape analysis, feasibility analysis; key messages and content writing such as case studies and feature articles, financial model development, data analysis, financial reports and variance analysis, customer workflow mapping, business case reports, resource allocation plans, project update reports, and project plans.