Innovative Projects Realized

Product Strategy Analyst

Corvum is the only VoIP telephone service provider dedicated to the legal industry in North America. COVID-19 has affected our company’s ability to attend in-person conferences, which was our largest source of leads and customers. Because of this, Corvum now faces the challenge of competing against large companies in our industry which have more resources to invest in online marketing, and feature implementation. Our go-to-market strategy is focused on targeting the legal industry niche. COVID-19 has increased the cost reaching out to this market segment. Corvum needs to find the best way to adapt our product to fit the needs of our target segment. An intern who can aid in creating a business/product strategy that allows us to customize our product, gain exposure and compete with limited resources is crucial to the success of Corvum.

We want to hire a Product Strategy Analyst to pivot the way we reach out to potential clients, acquire new leads and to create a client acquisition strategy for competitive positioning. The student would also be analyzing our existing product, and researching ways to tailor it to the legal industry.

Shawcor – Business Strategy Internship

Shawcor wants to work with a team of three MBA students looking for a challenge. Each student will be assigned one of the business segments of pipeline and pipe services, composite systems, or automotive and industrial (connection systems), stretching across all served markets.

1) After they complete an orientation and conduct an in-depth analysis of our company, segment, and its operations, they will also participate in several discovery sessions for their assigned business segment and assist in the development of key findings and observations.

2) Following the segment review the team will work on the enterprise level Shawcor purpose and impact and contribute based on their segment findings and view of the company.

3) Final presentations will be to business segment leaders and Shawcor executives with a December milestone presenting a vision of the future to the board and executive team.

Covid Business Strategy

A strategic analysis and development of possible digital technology solutions and virtual event applications, along with implementation assistance that will assist our organization in restoring and/or modifying our operations toward success in a new environment disrupted by and likely changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID Business Strategy

This project will also allow AMI RockChain to identify and potentially obtain assets that are on the market due to the impact of COVID-19 within this industry. The increased market intelligence is also essential as infrastructure and construction industries that were shut down during
COVID-19 are now commencing their projects under tighter deadlines and with more protocols and restrictions.

Shawcor – Business Strategy Internship

Shawcor wants to work with a team of three MBA students looking for a challenge. Each student will be assigned one of the business segments of pipeline and pipe services, composite systems, or automotive and industrial (connection systems), stretching across all served markets.

1) After they complete an orientation and conduct an in-depth analysis of our company, segment, and its operations, they will also participate in several discovery sessions for their assigned business segment and assist in the development of key findings and observations.

2) Following the segment review the team will work on the enterprise level Shawcor purpose and impact and contribute based on their segment findings and view of the company.

3) Final presentations will be to business segment leaders and Shawcor executives with a December milestone presenting a vision of the future to the board and executive team.

L’intégration de l’évaluation de l’écosystème d’innovation et la prise de décision en entreprise : le cas du positionnement stratégique de Thalès Solution Numérique au Québec

Montréal veut être reconnu mondialement comme une ville dominante dans le domaine de l’intelligence artificielle (IA). De nombreuses entreprises en IA sont justement en train de s’implanter ou de se créer à Montréal. Dans ce contexte, Thalès et le CENTECH ont décidé de s’associer pour créer l’IA@CENTECH : un incubateur pour les Startups en IA à Montréal. L’objectif de cet incubateur est d’aider plus de 10 start-up en IA par an à se développer. Pour définir un modèle d’affaire qui serait gagnant pour tous les acteurs de l’écosystème d’IA à Montréal, une connaissance précise de celui-ci est nécessaire. Le but de mon projet serait justement de cartographier l’écosystème d’IA de Montréal et de définir des indicateurs pertinents pour permettre à Thalès de déterminer un positionnement stratégique pour l’IA@CENTECH qui serait bénéfique pour tous les acteurs de l’écosystème d’IA à Montréal.

Development of algorithms and methods for fusion of imprecise information

In every situation humans make observations and analyse the observed information, by combining and evaluating the relationships between the observations to understand the situation. Often these observations can be uncertain, redundant, from unknown sources, contradictory and too many for a human to be able to analyse fast enough and correctly, leading to incorrect assessment of the situation. The proposed research is based on the hypothesis that through application of various probabilistic, possibilistic and other applied mathematics methods it is possible to enhance humans ability to analyse large amounts of redundant, uncertain, sometimes contradictory information, enhancing his/her capability to correctly understand situations.

The current research will investigate how the application of imperfect information representation theories (including belief functions with their link to probability) can leverage the understanding of a situation and its evolution in a context where information, coming from a broad variety of sources (internet, police, military, coast guard), is uncertain.

The PAC App: Evaluating a Nationally Promoted Physical Activity App

In order to improve the health of Canadians, ParticipACTION developed the ParticipACTION App (PAC app), an incentivized, physical activity (PA) promotion and tracking app. The PAC app aims to increase the amount of PA and decrease the amount of sedentary activities for all Canadian. The PAC app was launch in February of 2019, and currently has over 100 000 downloads; however, the app is constantly evolving, and new app features are being developed. Physical activity apps have demonstrated moderate success at increasing physical activity levels in research interventions, and even less is known about their effectiveness in the real world. This internship will evaluate the PAC app in order to ensure the app is meeting the need of Canadians.

Optimization of fermentation and valorization of residual biomasses into enzymatic formulations for industrial cleaning products

The use of organic residual wastes as substrate to produce ingredients for cleaning formulations, such as enzymes, allows to decrease the carbon emission linked to the production of ingredients from fresh raw materials and to their transport. Furthermore, the Quebec policy for the management of residual wastes stipulates that in the year 2022 the landfilling of putrescible materials will be banned. In this project, production of enzymes by fermentation of residual biomasses (compost leachate, whey, and oily waste) using microorganisms of genre Bacillus (proteases and lipases) and Rhizobium (lipases) will be validated and optimized in flasks and 2 L bioreactor. The main factors that need to be studied for enzyme production are the type of carbon and nitrogen source, pH, temperature, aeration and agitation, as well as the microorganisms used for fermentation. This project will allow the development of new cost-effective eco-friendly products which could be organic certified from renewable sources.

In Vacuo Glycation of Insulin

More than 2 million Canadians suffer from diabetes, a disease associated with the body’s inability to produce or effectively use insulin. The high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can lead to serious complications such as vision loss, kidney failure, cardiovascular problems, and amputation. Therefore, diabetes patients are treated with insulin, with the aim of achieving tight control over their blood sugar levels. While regular human insulin has a duration of action of 6 – 8 hours, long-acting insulin can provide a continuous supply of insulin for about 24 h, thereby enabling better regulation of blood glucose between meals. However, long-acting insulin is costly to produce, and consequently expensive for patients. The aim of this project is to develop simple, low-cost approach to the development of new versions of insulin with long-acting properties, making the treatment more readily available to patients.

Analyse critique des connaissances issues de la recherche en langue française portant sur les élèves en situation handicap qui présentent des troubles spécifiques d’apprentissage du primaire au postsecondaire depuis les 15 dernières années

On estime que les troubles d’apprentissage spécifiques (TAS) touchent entre 5 et 15% des élèves (APA, 2013). Pour les enseignants et les orthopédagogues, un des défis qui se pose dans l’intervention auprès de ces élèves est celui de l’utilisation des données pertinentes de la recherche. On ne dispose actuellement pas d’outil permettrait de dresser un portrait ou de distinguer les textes pertinents des autres pour soutenir l’intervention auprès des élèves qui présentent un TAS. Notre projet propose de réaliser une analyse systématique de la recherche réalisée en langue française sur les élèves qui présentent des TAS. La réalisation de ce projet permettra de fournir un portrait clair et organisé de la recherche et des propositions qui en émanent. Il permettra également de synthétiser les propositions pour soutenir le transfert des connaissances issues de la littérature, notamment en insérant une partie des résultats de nos travaux dans la version francophone du site web de l’Association canadienne sur les troubles d’apprentissage (www.ldac-acta.ca).

SmartBody, SmartMind: Exploring the effectiveness of an online interoceptive training program on physical and emotional well-being.

SmartBody, SmartMind (SBSM) is a 12-week online intervention combining elements of movement, mindfulness, education, and psychologically-informed coping strategies. SBSM’s philosophy is that there are physical, emotional, and psychological dimensions to all disorders. Accordingly, SBSM offers a variety of therapeutic techniques through a variety of modalities, so that each individual may tailor their own healing. While SBSM’s approach aligns closely with leading edge research on trauma, chronic pain, and other conditions, it has never been formally evaluated. We intend to undertake a clinical trial of SBSM to determine how well it achieves its goals, whether specific individuals benefit more, and whether the program would benefit from any changes. Following completion of the study, the SBSM developers will be provided a report to help them optimize their reach and effectiveness for various disorders and individuals.