Innovative Projects Realized

Étude sur la résilience des initiatives d’agriculture urbaine communautaires dans le cadre de la COVID19 : constats et apprentissages

L’agriculture urbaine est un outil d’intervention sociale utilisé par de nombreux groupes communautaires montréalais afin de fournir des fruits et légumes aux personnes en situation d’insécurité alimentaire. Ce projet évaluera l’impact du COVID19 sur ces projets d’agriculture urbaine et sur les organisations communautaires portant ces initiatives. Elle identifiera les enjeux alimentaires soulignés par cette crise pour les organismes communautaires venant en aide aux personnes vulnérables en situation d’insécurité alimentaire. Depuis 2009, de nombreux projets en agriculture urbaine ont été développés par les organismes communautaires en sécurité alimentaire (jardins collectifs) et depuis quelques années des projets en innovation sociale et de plus grande envergure ont été mis sur pied (fermes urbaines sociale). Si littérature scientifique existante montre que l’agriculture urbaine est un outil mobilisé pour faire face aux crises, il reste que très peu de recherches ont été effectuées dans le domaine. Cette recherche vient apporter son effort afin de combler cette lacune, tout en s’inscrivant dans une démarche d’analyse sur les bonnes pratiques et sur la résilience alimentaire urbaine que peuvent apporter les initiatives en agriculture urbaine montréalaise en temps de crise.

Digital Readiness: An Evaluation of Rural Broadband Models in British Columbia

Connectivity is a critical service, a foundational need to actively participate in the economy and society. However, rural communities in British Columbia (BC) continue to face challenges with connectivity. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on this digital divide, demonstrating the inequities resulting from connectivity challenges.
Across rural BC, local governments have been increasingly taking ownership over connectivity. The result is a wide range of innovative approaches relating to infrastructure, network operation, and internet service provision. Little research has been done to investigate or understand these approaches, leaving communities with no information to demonstrate what enables models to be successful, or to help communities to understand what models may be appropriate to use.
The goal of this research is to identify, understand, and evaluate existing models of rural connectivity in rural BC.

Yóntstha Ka’nikonhrí:yo (Using a Good Mind)

This research project seeks to examine the Haudenosaunee cultural principles of Kayaneren’kó:wa (The Great Law), Skén:nen (Peace and Balance), Ka’satsténshera (Power and Unity), and Ka’nikonhrí:yo (Good Mind / Righteousness). Through research of historical documents, investigation of the current literature, and consultation with Haudenosaunee knowledge keepers, this project seeks to discover innovative ways that these cultural concepts can be applied in the twenty-first century and beyond. In collaboration with Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, the findings of this research will be utilized to develop operating principles and a strategic plan to be used by the partner organization. The findings of this research will also benefit Indigenous individuals and organizations that seek to promote the revitalization of Indigenous culture and language through Indigenous cultural based principles.

Le développement des nouvelles pratiques de l’innovation ouverte au Québec : L’excubation comme nouveau modèle d’innovation

L’excubation est une des pratiques de l’innovation ouverte qui permet aux entreprises de mettre en place des collaborations avec différents acteurs externes, afin d’identifier de nouvelles technologies et d’accélérer leurs processus d’innovation. En effet, cette nouvelle pratique consiste à externaliser une partie ou l’ensemble du processus d’innovation afin de se libérer des rigidités organisationnelles. Elle semble ainsi être un modèle gagnant-gagnant qui permet aux grandes entreprises de surmonter leurs inerties organisationnelles et aux PME innovantes et startup de déployer leurs innovations à grande échelle. Cependant, pour bien mener des projets d’excubation, une structure d’intermédiation s’avère nécessaire afin d’effectuer le maillage entre les deux entités. La présente recherche vise à mieux comprendre les enjeux de la mise en place d’un projet d’excubation par un intermédiaire en innovation. La méthodologie choisie est l’étude de cas, à l’aide d’entrevues réalisées avec les différentes parties prenantes du projet étudié.

Mapping Intangible Cultural Resources through Reading Culture Analysis

In 2011, the City of London started developing a cultural resource database and mapping capability to provide a calculation of the economic impact of culture in the city and an assessment London’s cultural facilities infrastructure, with focus on tangible cultural resources. Although potentially more valuable than the tangible cultural assets, intangible cultural resources have not been explored in equal depth as they require specific methodologies and approaches to be captured and mapped out. The aim of this post-doctoral research is to define and apply a new methodology to discover intangible cultural resources of the City of London based on assessment of library and museums habits obtained via statistical analysis of public library and museums databases.

Risk Analysis of Affordable Housing Mortgage Models

Habitat for Humanity (H4H) Halton-Mississauga (HM) provides affordable housing to families in the Halton-Mississauga region. This research project examines the viability – from a financial, organizational risk and family impact point of view – of different mortgage models. It is anticipated that the research would present practical and practicable analytics that would enable H4H-HM, and other local H4H affiliates, to advance mortgage models that foster long-term financial sustainability, represent modest/manageable risk to affiliates but which, importantly, maximize a positive impact on the families that Habitat for Humanity affiliates serve.
The research involves models describing the evolution of interest rates, housing prices, and other relevant economic variables such as unemployment. The analysis will provide insights into the risk profile of different mortgage models and their potential impact on the organization (H4H-HM). This information is crucial to sustain the H4H-HM’s mission of providing affordable housing.

Experimental Assessment of the Optical Properties of Lanthanide-doped Upconverting Nanoparticles and their Interaction with Graphene

In the frame of this research project, lanthanide-doped nanoparticles will be synthesized that are able to convert low- to high-energy light in a process called upconversion. Given their outstanding optical properties, these upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) are promising candidates for applications ranging from biomedicine to optoelectronics and the energy sector. We will combine UCNPs with monolayers of graphene into novel UCNP@Graphene hybrids. Graphene is an excellent conductor of electricity and can absorb light with a wide range of wavelengths, though, most of the times the absorbed light is converted into heat. By combining the graphene sheets with the UCNPs it is believed that the emission properties (and thereby the upconversion efficiency) of the hybrids are significantly improved. The created hybrids are thus intensively studied by different analytical tools and techniques, such as transmission and scanning electron microscopy, hyperspectral imaging and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Ultimately, we aim at developing a whole new class of optoelectronic devices using the upconversion properties of the UCNPs and the strong light absorption and flexibility of graphene. One of the envisioned devices are flexible and highly efficient solar cell to reduce the need for carbon and nuclear power plants.

Interspecies competition between Bacillus and Pseudomonas on plants roots

Bacillus and Pseudomonas are ubiquitous bacteria found in the soil and are used as biofungicide in organic agriculture. Their beneficial effects include secretion of volatiles and phytohormones promoting growth and several antibacterial metabolites that suppress phytopathogens. Recently, it has been demonstrated that some Pseudomonas species affect Bacillus growth through the secretion of secondary metabolites, likely decreasing their beneficial effects on plants. Indeed, little is known regarding the resistance mechanism used by Bacillus to defend its ecological niche. To improve our understanding of the chemical exchange between those two species and with the help of the Dr. Traxler lab’s, this project will focus on characterizing the metabolic profile of both bacteria in competition in synthetic and environmental condition with cutting-edge imaging mass spectrometry, a technique that is currently not available in Quebec. This collaboration will allow us to acquire the knowledge necessary to understand the chemical language of both species to optimize the use of Bacillus in the field.

Mise à l’échelle de la vidéo en super-résolution (Super-R) grâce à l’apprentissage automatique

Ce projet consiste à appliquer des algorithmes d’apprentissage automatique AI pour mettre à l’échelle la vidéo standard (hors ligne et en temps réel) en super-résolution. La plupart des projets de super résolution vidéo actuels ciblent des scénarios d’application hors ligne. Nos projets optimiseront l’algorithme et sélectionneront l’ensemble de données approprié. Tout en prenant en charge les scénarios hors ligne, nous réaliserons plus de super résolution vidéo pour les scénarios en temps réel. Les algorithmes d’IA utilisés dans le projet sont: SRCNN et SRGAN. Ces deux algorithmes sont largement utilisés dans le traitement des images vidéo. Nous utiliserons ces deux algorithmes et d’autres algorithmes d’apprentissage machine connexes pour améliorer la résolution de la vidéo.

Towards Next Generation Translation Management with an adaptation to specialized and low-resource domains

This project fits into the strategic goal to accelerate transition to digital technology in working with universities to research and analyse industry trends. The second phase will help the Ciena Documentation team test ideas and to implement them in the Component Content Management System (CCMS) and Translation Management System (TMS) in order to improve their

ability to meet end-users’ expectations. The value proposition for Ciena is deliver exceptional user experience with the documentation and improving ease of use.
The outcomes of the project will contribute substantially to the progress of the Canadian ICT industry. Indeed, ENCQOR is the transformational Canada-Québec-Ontario partnership focused on research and innovation in the field of 5G disruptive technologies, on adoption initiatives and system uses. ENCQOR establishes the first Canadian pre-commercial corridor of 5G digital infrastructure — the key to making the digital economy a reality. ENCQOR’s five-year strategy and unique focus on providing access to 5G networks to SMEs, researchers and academia means it is purpose-built not just for unlocking the technological promise of 5G in the near term, but for driving long-term economic growth in Québec and Ontario and in the broader Canadian innovation ecosystem.

Robust Non-contact RF Sensing for Human Vital Sign and Activity Monitoring

Non-contact sensing for vital signs and human activities utilizing wireless signals has attracted a lot of attention in the last few years. Sensing using Ultra-wide-band or milli-meter wave radios is advantageous in its ability to penetrate garments or walls, operate under different lighting and weather conditions, and better preserve people’s privacy. Despite successful research demonstrations, there remain significant gaps in practical adoption and deployment. Many challenges need to be addressed to handle the presence of multiple subjects, subject diversity and environmental interferences. In this research program, we aim to develop robust non-contact sensing solutions to detecting vital signs and extracting high-level analytics of human activities in indoor and in-vehicle environments. The projects are expected to not only advance the state-of-the-art in algorithmic design for non-contact RF sensing but also develop proof-of-concept prototypes and demonstrative applications.

Injustices numériques et patrimoine archéologique autochtone en Basse-Côte-Nord: vers la création collaborative d’une éthique des nouvelles technologies.

Ce projet analyse les injustices épistémiques qui entrent en jeu dans la production de connaissances archéologiques par les communautés innues de la Basse-Côte-Nord (Unamen Shipu et Pakuashipi), et propose de former des principes éthiques permettant de corriger ces injustices. Le concept de préservation fournit une base de travail auquel des principes complémentaires viendront se greffer. Ces derniers sont élaborés à l’aide d’une démarche collaborative qui permet de travailler avec des communautés autochtones dans le respect de leurs valeurs, besoins, et pratiques culturelles. Un modèle de préservation numérique sera développé pour être appliqué en Basse-Côte-Nord. Il contribuera à préserver son patrimoine archéologique autochtone par ses communautés, il permettra aux jeunes de ces communautés de développer des compétences facilitant la recherche d’emplois futurs dans le domaine du numérique, et il aidera à développer une vitrine numérique et archéologique à même de redynamiser économiquement la région par l’augmentation de son flux touristique.