FTMS: Fast Lane to Smart Transportation
Securing your first customer, partner or pilot for technology in the transportation and mobility sector can be a challenging journey and often requires overcoming hurdles like insurance, regulations and implementation strategies.
Watch the fourth instalment of FTMS and learn about ways for clearing the path to market for innovators in connected/autonomous goods movement.
From insightful virtual keynotes and engaging panel discussions with entrepreneurs, government and academia, we can bolster progress for the future of connected and autonomous goods movement.
Event Partners
This event was co-hosted by Innovation Factory’s Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility (CITM), the Ontario Tech University (OTU), Spark Centre and Durham College.
The event was supported by the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN). OVIN brings together industry, academia, and governments to capitalize on the economic opportunities of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (C/AV) while supporting the province’s transportation systems and infrastructure in adapting to these emerging technologies.
The Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility (CITM) is a business accelerator dedicated to supporting electrified, connected and autonomous vehicle innovations from ideation to commercialization and scale-up; and driving market adoption and new intellectual properties as well as increased revenues, investment and jobs. Matching innovators with industry, business development and technical expertise, CITM helps them find product-market fit, pilot projects, strategic connections, and growth opportunities. CITM also offers exclusive R&D resources to test and validate innovations through leading-edge test environments, technology platforms, rich datasets, and specialized labs.
Innovation Factory is a not-for-profit business accelerator, serving as the catalyst for tech innovation in the greater Hamilton area since 2011. Innovation Factory provides business services, training and mentorship to help entrepreneurs with advanced manufacturing, clean tech, information tech, life science and social innovations to bring their ideas to market, increase revenues, leverage intellectual property, attract investment and create jobs.
Durham Regional Technology Development Site (DRTDS) is a consortium between Spark Centre, Ontario Tech University, Ontario Tech University’s Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) and Durham College that is part of the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) administered by Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI). The Durham RTDS works with a host of industry partners to further the development and commercialization of new technologies that contribute to the Human Machine Interface (HMI) and User Experience for connected and autonomous vehicles. Specifically, the Durham RTDS focuses on the interaction of Connected and Automated Vehicles (C/AVs) with users and their surrounding communities, contributing to the adoption of Smart Mobility solutions that address current community challenges while preparing for mobility of the future.
Spark Centre provides business and technical advisory services and resources to Ontario-based startups and small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with the aim of accelerating the development of human-machine interface (HMI) and user experience.
Durham College is the premier post-secondary destination for students to succeed in a dynamic and supportive learning environment. Their graduates develop the professional and personal skills needed to realize meaningful careers and make a difference in the world.
Ontario Tech University is a modern, forwarding-thinking university. We advance the discovery and application of knowledge to accelerate economic growth, regional development and social innovation. Ontario Tech’s ACE Climatic Wind Tunnel is helping the Oshawa and Durham Region transition from a traditional automotive manufacturing base to one focused on engineering research and the promise of rapidly evolving advanced technologies like aerodynamics, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, vehicle electrification, and more.
Agenda
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Fast Lane to Smart Transportation
From insightful virtual keynotes and engaging panel discussions with entrepreneurs, government and academia, we can bolster progress for the future of connected and autonomous goods movement.
A future with Smart Mobility is on the horizon. Smart Mobility involves the movement of people and goods through the application of technology, data and data analytics in a manner that balances safety, efficiency, comfort, sustainability, ability, inclusion, equity and cost-effectiveness. Machine learning, data analytics, digital twins and the Canadian ITS architecture are a few of the enablers for this future vision that includes automated and connected vehicles. There are opportunities at all stages of the supply chain from inbound transportation to last mile delivery that will be explored.
Mara Bullock: Smart Mobility Manager, WSP
iFood is the biggest Food Delivery company in Brazil with over 60M monthly orders and in this presentation we will explore its vision for using autonomous vehicles for meal deliveries and some (very) early learnings.
Sandor Tucakov Caetano: Chief Data Scientist
Hear from a smart mobility innovator, as they share lessons they learned, resources they leveraged, and the key support, connections and domain expertise that has helped them throughout their commercialization journey.
This panel discussion explores the facilitated collaborations and investment opportunities in Ontario’s automotive and mobility ecosystem and how a growing a footprint of emerging technologies with multiple stakeholders is changing the future of mobility.
Moderator:
Hanna Haponenko, Axcessiom Technologies Product Design, Operations
Panelists:
Richard Dunda, Director, Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility
Sherry Colbourne, President & CEO Spark Centre
Edward Dawson, Senior Manager, Automobility and Innovation, Simulation Team, Invest WindsorEssex
The connected/autonomous goods movement sector is accelerating rapidly with the adoption of new and disruptive innovations. With so many innovators fighting to be first-to-market, where does one begin in understanding the evolving regulations and barriers to market-entry.
This panel of experts will discuss these barriers and will help you gain a better understanding in how to overcome hurdles like insurance, regulations and technology adoption as you make your way towards commercialization.
Moderator:
Saiedeh Razavi, Associate Professor, Chair in Heavy Construction, Department of Civil Engineering; Director, McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics, McMaster University
Panelists:
Mike Branch, Vice President of Data & Analytics, Geotab
Scott Cober, National Practice Leader, Transportation at BFL Canada
Susan Boot, P.Eng. Head, ITS Innovation and Planning Section, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Speakers
Mara Bullock - Smart Mobility National Manager WSP (Keynote)
Mara Bullock, P.Eng brings over 28 years of experience of applying technology to transportation and community building to her role as WSP’s Smart Mobility National Manager. Over her career, Mara has seen significant transformation in services as new technologies evolve as well as new opportunities and different ways of doing business. Automated, Connected, Electric and Shared mobility will further transform the services offered for personal mobility as well as goods movement. Mara believes that technology is a tool to resolve operational or institutional gaps or deficiencies that cities and transportation networks face and understanding those problems and needs is critical to delivering the project.
Sandor Tucakov Caetano - Chief Data Scientist (Presenter)
Sandor Tucakov Caetano is an Economist. He has worked with Econometric models and game theory since 2006 building marketing, pricing and sales models for big consumer goods and food companies. He worked as the head of Data Science for Nubank in Brazil and today is the Chief Data Scientist of iFood.
Saiedeh Razavi - Associate Professor; Chair in Heavy Construction; Department of Civil Engineering; Director, McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics McMaster University (Moderator)
Dr. Saiedeh Razavi is the Director of the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics (MITL), Associate Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering, and the Chair in Heavy Construction at McMaster University. Dr. Razavi has a multidisciplinary background and considerable experience in collaborating and leading national and international multidisciplinary projects on smarter mobility, smart infrastructure, construction and logistics. Her formal education includes degrees in Computer Engineering (B.Sc.), Artificial Intelligence (M.Sc.) and Civil Engineering (Ph.D.). She combines several years of industrial experience with academic teaching and research. In her role as Director of MITL, she brings together the private and public sectors with academia for the development of high-quality evidence-based research in mobility, transportation infrastructure, and logistics. She is a member of the provincial “Hamilton Transportation Task Force” to support the Government off Ontario for $1 billion capital investment in transportation and transit projects in Hamilton. In April 2017, she was invited to the Parliament of Canada to present her transportation research at McMaster at the “Research Matters” event to the Members of the Parliament. She is currently a member of the Discovery Grants Evaluation Groups in Civil, Industrial, and System Engineering.
Mike Branch - Vice President, Data & Analytics, Geotab (Panelist)
Mike is the Vice President of Data & Analytics at Geotab and leads the charge for developing solutions that enable insight from over 2 million connected vehicles and 30 billion telematics records that Geotab processes on a daily basis. Mike joined the Geotab team in 2016, and prior to that was the CEO of Inovex Inc. which in 2013, spun off a brand new entity Maps BI -- a platform for geo-spatial data visualization. Maps BI was integrated within Geotab's telematics platform as a key partner and was later acquired by Geotab in 2016. Mike has received numerous honors including the University of Toronto Arbor Award and Early Career Award, Engineers Canada Young Engineer Award, Professional Engineers of Ontario Engineering Medal, and the Cloud Innovation World Cup.
Scott Cober - National Practice Leader, Transportation, BFL (Panelist)
Scott joined BFL in October 2018 after leaving one of the largest Global Insurance Brokerages where for 12 years he also held the role as National Practice Leader for Transportation. Scott has 25 years of insurance experience and holds an Insurance Diploma from Mohawk College. He has achieved the Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation, and Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker (CAIB) designation. His experience and skills in off-shore captives, alternative risk solutions, expertise in Telematics / Behavior Technology and the Sharing / Gig Economy have proven to be beneficial and profitable to many clients.
Susan Boot - P.Eng. Head, ITS Innovation and Planning Section, Intelligent Transportation Systems Ontario Ministry of Transportation (Panelists)
Susan Boot is MTO’s Manager of the ITS Office, previously the Head of the ITS Innovation and Planning Section within the office. With over 28 years of experience with MTO, Susan has been with the ITS Office since 2011. Susan has experience with provincial highway planning and design and ITS planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operations. Susan is currently responsible for managing the ITS Office which includes the areas of innovation and strategic planning and the design, construction, and maintenance of ITS infrastructure on provincial highways. The ITS program is heavily engaged in MTO’s planning for Smart Mobility, Connected and Automated Vehicles and the ministry’s Data and Information Strategy.
Richard Dunda - Director, Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility, Innovation Factory (Panelist)
Richard has spent more than 30 years in the software and communications/media industries. More recently, Richard has been immersed in and working with Canada’s start-up, scale-up, and growth companies as an executive, advisor, consultant, mentor, and certified coach. Richard now joins Innovation Factory as the Director at the Centre for Integrated Transportation & Mobility (CITM). Over the course of his career, Richard held a series of engaging and foundational roles – stretching from his beginnings in the PC industry running an start-up in the late ’80s, to 20+ years at Microsoft in a series of roles in North America, to 5 years at Rogers Communications’ as Director of Strategic Partnerships team, and, most recently as President & COO of a technology start-up. Richard credits these roles and, more importantly the people and mentors, with his development of a unique combination of skills, experience, and expertise.
Sherry Colbourne - President & CEO, Spark Centre (Panelist)
Sherry Colbourne is a Canadian entrepreneur with decades of experience in Ontario’s high-tech sector. Her career has taken her to the far corners of the world in pursuit of building strategic business relationships for the companies she has served. As CEO, Sherry guides the direction and growth of Spark Centre and advocates for an international approach to the development of Durham Region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Sherry is a strong believer that entrepreneurism brings diverse cultures and people together and that the opportunity for Durham Region lies in its roots as an innovative and diverse Region.
Edward Dawson - Senior Manager, Automobility and Innovation - Simulation Team, Invest WindsorEssex (Panelist)
Ed is the Senior Manager of Automobility and Innovation, leading the Simulation Team at Invest WindsorEssex. He completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Windsor, specializing in Political Science and Economics. Upon graduating, Ed worked for TD Bank Financial Group in a variety of roles, including management and as a licensed investment advisor. Today, Ed leads a dynamic team at Canada’s largest publicly accessible VR CAVE that was designed for the testing of C/AV technologies. Having accurate simulation testing capabilities and high-fidelity test tracks supports companies and academics pursuing mobility technologies that will shape the future of what the next generation of infrastructure and vehicles will look like, especially as they relate to crossing international borders.
Hanna Haponenko - Axcessiom Technologies - Product Design, Operations (Moderator)
Hanna Haponenko is a third-year PhD student studying Human Cognition and Perception at McMaster University, from where she also obtained her Bachelor of Health Sciences Degree in 2013. Her undergraduate honours thesis focused on enhancing community connectedness through business development ventures in the north end of Hamilton. Hanna has most recently married her love of researching human attention with her business interests into managing a startup called Axcessiom Technologies. At Axcessiom, Hanna applies principles of human and computer vision to lead the development of a facial gesture recognition device used by drivers with disabilities to activate functions like windshield wipers and turn signals with simple facial expressions. Hanna is most passionate about designing effective human machine interfaces, wrangling and analyzing data to make valuable insights, and exploring ways to increase trust between humans and autonomous vehicles.
Raed Kadri - Head of Ontario's Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network Senior Director, Automotive Technology and Mobility Innovation, Ontario Centre of Innovation (Remarks)
Raed Kadri is Head of the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) and Senior Director of Automotive Technology and Mobility Innovation at Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE). In his role, he is responsible for leading AVIN, an initiative by the Government of Ontario which drives economic growth, creates high-quality jobs and strengthens Ontario’s competitive advantage in the automotive, transportation and mobility sector. Raed received his Bachelor of Applied Science (Industrial Engineering) from the University of Windsor, his Master of Science (Industrial Engineering) from Wayne State University in Detroit and his Master of Science (Business and Management Research) from Henley Business School in Henley-on-Thames, U.K. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration from Henley Business School in partnership with Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
Chris Gillis, P. Eng. - Manager, Applied Research Business Development, Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Durham College (EMCEE)
Chris has been focused on operational performance improvement, innovation and customer satisfaction for over 25 years in a wide variety of industries and sectors in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the United Kingdom. In his current role as Manager, Applied Research Business Development, he is the college lead for connected and autonomous vehicles. As well, Chris works to connect companies in the advanced manufacturing and craft brewing sectors with funding and expertise needed to realize their innovations.
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