Innovative Projects Realized

Co-designing and Communicating Equitable and Transformational Climate Actions

In this Mitacs project, the BSI intern will work with the University of Toronto’s Urban Climate Action Project (UCAP) and with Social Innovation Canada to distill and build on insights gleaned from jurisdictional scans, environmental reports, and other outputs produced by the University of Toronto’s Sustainability in a Living Lab course cohort and previous ones. As well, they will design and facilitate co-design workshops and other events that contribute to the co-creation of real-world low carbon solutions with stakeholders and partners.

Développement d’un outil web de cartographie dynamique des projets visant la conservation des écosystèmes et le maintien des usages du fleuve/golfe St-Laurent

Développement d’un outil de cartographie dynamique en ligne Le Fonds d’action Saint-Laurent (FASL) est un organisme à but non lucratif et de charité qui favorise la conservation des écosystèmes et le maintien des usages du fleuve Saint-Laurent et de son golfe en soutenant des projets de préservation, de mise en valeur et de réhabilitation du fleuve, ainsi que des projets d’éducation et de sensibilisation aux enjeux du fleuve Saint-Laurent. Le FASL a soutenu à ce jour la réalisation d’une centaine de projets touchant le fleuve, de même que ses affluents. La quantité croissante d’information produite par l’organisme nécessite des solutions technologiques et logistiques lui permettant d’en assurer une gestion et une diffusion efficace. Le stage proposé vise à doter le FASL d’outils et de procédés qui lui permettront de mettre
en valeur son rôle et ses réalisations auprès de ses partenaires, de ses bénéficiaires et d’un public interpellé par le fleuve par le biais d’une cartographie interactive connectée à une base de données en ligne.

Développement d’une plateforme B2Bpour favoriser le circuits court

Développer une plateforme de commerce en circuit court pour le B2B.

Digital Energy Platform Use Case Development – Awesense

Awesense is a clean tech company in the energy space whose mission is to accelerate the transition to clean energy by making it easy to build data-driven applications for a decarbonized grid.

To facilitate that, Awesense has been building a Digital Energy Platform that electrical utilities, consulting companies and software solution vendors can use to quickly prototype and develop decision support analytics applications for a wide variety of use cases. For utilities, this alleviates the need of repeatedly engaging in data integration efforts with each new software vendor or consultant for each desired use case – instead, integrate only once with the Awesense Platform, then add on as many platform-compatible applications as needed. For application providers, this helps focus on delivering the use case rather than doing data integration.

The Awesense Platform will have economic and societal impacts by enabling a thriving ecosystem of software companies trying to speed up the clean energy transition (including the electrification of transportation infrastructure), thus addressing social or environmental issues important to Canadian society.

Electromagnetic Signal Detection Application Development

Magnestar is developing the electromagnetic capabilities and an operator community application to enable space assets to work more efficiently, and sustain operations through solar flares, regolith contamination, signal interference and space debris collision to increase the longevity of asset life.

This Mitac BSI project proposal is for the co-op students to assist in the innovation product development work required to meet Magnestar and the great space communities goals for better in space sustainability.

Magnestar is building the sense and respond system to understand and act upon complex events being processed in real time. The vision would include all spacecrafts being equipped with Magnestar technology, enabling spacecrafts to withstand harsh environmental conditions in outer space. Creating a more sustainable space environment for future generations to flourish and making humans safer in space.

Value-based Medicine: Innovation in design of healthcare processes and applying the methods in stroke care

The proposed research project will develop an innovative method to design healthcare processes and apply the method to the care of stroke patients in Newfoundland and Labrador. The design method is grounded in engineering techniques, starting with establishing the design requirements of the system that is to be designed. The project will support underlying ongoing planning and decision making that will ultimately identify some diversity of delivery models for healthcare systems and processes.

Penser et développer un Écosystème régional d’innovation au Québec : La planification stratégique d’un programme d’innovation à l’échelle régionale

L’équipe de Stratégies Grenier offre son expertise aux décideurs politiques, aux leaders communautaires, aux dirigeants économiques et aux entrepreneurs québécois, canadiens et d’ailleurs afin de réaliser leurs grandes idées.
Le modèle des écosystèmes régionaux d’innovation est adopté par un nombre croissant de juridictions pour stimuler la croissance économique et l’innovation dans des secteurs stratégiques. Tandis que ce modèle a déjà fait ses preuves dans les grands centres urbains à l’échelle international, son adaptation à des contextes régionaux, périphériques ou relativement éloignés pose encore des défis.
Pour répondre à ces défis l’équipe de Grenier Stratégies fonde en 2021 le Forum Innovation, un réseau collaboratif voué à la promotion et à la diffusion de la culture de l’innovation au Québec et ailleurs. Plus précisément, le Forum Innovation rassemble des dirigeants d’entreprises et d’organismes – particulièrement issus de contextes régionaux, périphériques ou relativement éloignés – qui partagent le désir de développer leur expertise sur les écosystèmes régionaux d’innovation, d’améliorer leurs compétences en matière d’innovation ouverte et d’étendre leurs réseaux de collaboration à l’échelle nationale et internationale. À cette fin, l’équipe de Grenier Stratégies rédige des rapports d’expertise, oganise des événements de réseautage avec des spécialistes et publie régulièrement des articles de vulgarisation.

Behaviour and Design of Direct-Formed Hollow Structural Sections

This research will focus on direct-formed square and rectangular hollow sections (collectively referred to as RHS hereinafter) under combined compression and bending. The effects of the novel direct-forming approach on the beam-column behaviour of RHS will be quantified via experimental testing. The beam-column testing program will include RHS with material nominal yield strengths of 350 and 690 MPa. A finite element (FE) study will be performed with models developed using the measured residual stresses, strength properties and geometric imperfections in direct-formed RHS. The modelling approach will be validated against the experimental data from beam-column tests. The beam-column behaviour of direct-formed regular- and high-strength RHS will be studied
via an FE parametric study to cover a wide range of cross-sectional dimensions and material properties. Design recommendations for the new RHS products under combined compression and bending will be developed.

Development of a preliminary commercialization strategy for a THC testing device

Strem Biotech is a start-up that focuses on diagnostics technology. Recently they developed a prototype for a portable device that allows the user to test for THC in the body. The intern will analyze market research, economic factors, and market trends to assist Strem Biotech in developing a preliminary commercialization strategy for the recently developed THC testing device. Using data and analysis, the intern will develop tentative financial projections, uncover potential international markets and provide the firm with distribution strategy recommendations. With the help of the intern’s research and reports, Strem Biotech will gain insights into the most effective way to develop the market for their innovative product.

Dynamic Door-to- Transit Station “Shared” E-Taxi Serving Smart Community

While electric vehicles (EVs) are generally viewed as non-polluting and environmentally friendly, EV utilization brings other concerns such as: range anxiety, battery charging issues, cost of electricity, and network overload. Furthermore even though EVs are better for the environment in comparison with the traditional vehicles powered with internal combustion engine, they are still vehicles on the road contributing to road congestion. This study aims to address the above mentioned shortcomings of EVs by investing in a door-to- transit station shared E-Taxi system. A successful project would mean having an acceptable plan for a taxi company to pick up and try out for the smart community which would result in:
o Not everyone in the smart community being required to have an electrical vehicle or vehicle in general
o Reduction in electricity usage
o Flexible door to terminal station transit system for the residence of the smart community
o Higher transit ridership
o Reduction in road congestion

Sensor for the detection of space debris, communication signals and moon dust

This research project will develop new methods for detecting space debris, communication signals, and moon dust equipped on spacecraft and satellites to be launched in the future. One of the major concerns with equipment orbiting Earth is the possible collision with space debris. Also, a lunar outpost equipped with the Canadarm3 is
planned for completion by 2024 as part of the lunar Gateway. Spacecraft travelling to the lunar outpost and to the surface of the moon will be heavily affected by abrasive moon dust, resulting in the need to detect its presence. The intern will develop a prototype for sensing space debris and communication signals and will propose innovative techniques for sensing moon dust to assist Magnestar in moving towards their goal of building sense and respond technology for the aerospace industry.

Deep Learning with Big Data for Innovation Acceleration

Xlscout has developed/launched many products like Automated Novelty Checker, Techscaper, Company Explorer, NLP enriched Landscaper, etc. The primary objective of this project is to continuously add new functionalities to the existing novelty checker module of Xlscout and also develop new innovative products/features that help in automating research & development. This project is important to XLScout as it will provide critical components for enabling semantic patent search. Integration of intellectual property (IP) and R&D is important for active and continuous innovation as well as for risk reduction; however, there is no good way to connect IP and R&D departments. XLScout platform will provide a service to engage IP and R&D departments. The platform will assist to help XLScout customers to search patents and other related databases more smartly, taking semantics into consideration. This will also keep consumers updated about competitors through alerts.