Ontario small businesses could receive up to $100,000 in matching funds to pilot solutions to urban transportation problems.
The Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) is launching a Technology Pilot Zone project to test solutions that address transportation challenges unique to Toronto and other metropolitan areas in Canada.
The agreement between OVIN and the City of Toronto will enable qualified small and medium-sized businesses to test new technologies in real urban environments that address urban mobility issues including pedestrian safety, congestion management and outdated infrastructure.
“As the economic and technology centre and largest metropolitan region of Ontario and Canada, the City of Toronto is uniquely positioned to implement innovative urban transportation technologies that promote safer, cleaner and more efficient transport,” OVIN director Raed Kadri said in a press statement.
During the pilot, small businesses will receive up to $100,000 in funding, matched by industry contributions, to integrate Ontario-made connected, autonomous and electric vehicle technology into city infrastructure, supported by 5G wireless connectivity and artificial intelligence.
The pilot will use examples of several of these technologies.
Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) for passenger transport or delivery services, EV charging technology, accessibility solutions for people with disabilities, dynamic signs and traffic signals, and road safety solutions for vulnerable road users.
After the pilot phase, the City of Toronto will have the option to procure the technology to improve urban efficiency.
Federal investment in pilot zones
The Toronto Technology Pilot Zone project is part of an $8 million investment made by the federal government in OVIN in February, which aims to establish two live-environment pilot sites in southern Ontario.
The second location, in Windsor/Sarnia, will focus on developing transportation solutions to enable the safe and efficient movement of people and goods across the border.
At both locations, over 40 small and medium-sized enterprises will pilot and commercialize over 40 new technologies.
“The work done through the OVIN pilot zone is critical to the growth of Canada's EV and CAV technology and manufacturing sectors, and the health of our communities and environment,” Minister Filomena Tassi, head of the federal economic development agency for Southern Ontario, said in a press note.
