Area XO, the R&D complex for next-generation smart mobility, autonomy and connectivity founded and established by Invest Ottawa, today announced more than $6.6 million in new investment that will accelerate the safe and secure development, commercialization, and adoption of new smart mobility technologies . This will help companies in Canada’s Capital and across Ontario accelerate their time to market and export, attract new investment, and create hundreds of jobs, fueling commercial success and regional economic growth.
This investment includes:
- Almost $5.4 million from the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southwestern Ontario (FedDev Ontario); and
- $1.25 million in in-kind contributions of technology, services and expertise from partners including Ansys.
It will help more companies capitalize on the lucrative global smart mobility market, which is expected to exceed USD $250 billion by 2030. The new technology and business capabilities at Area XO will increase the customer, investment and market-readiness of innovators, founders, SMEs and their collaborators. They will also help catalyze new smart mobility applications in sectors such as telecom, smart agriculture, defense, security and public safety, unmanned aerial vehicles, and smart cities.
This investment will enable:
- New simulation capabilities that will help companies in Ontario and across Canada conduct initial tests and demonstrations remotely, saving money, time and effort; increasing their productivity; and accelerating their technology commercialization and time to market.
- The creation of the first advanced robotic and unmanned aerial systems testbed of its kind in Canada. Mirroring a high-tech obstacle course, it will accelerate the safe development, testing, demonstration and application of Canadian unmanned ground robot and drone solutions, and the growth of the companies that create them.
- New smart mobility R&D projects and collaborations among local, provincial, national and global innovators and companies that catalyze new partnerships, client attraction, market opportunities, revenues and investment. This includes new channels to global markets with collaborators such as the World Economic Forum, and their broad international network of decision-makers, prospective customers and investors, driving global exports and trade,
- The development and commercialization of new Canadian smart mobility solutions and applications for the defense, security and public safety sectors. This will leverage Invest Ottawa’s recent certification as a Public Research Institution under the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Industrial Technology Benefits (ITB) Policy and Invest Ottawa’s Global Expansion team which is dedicated to foreign direct investment and business retention and expansion.