Province partners with private sector for $57M auto tech industry boost

As the U.S. puts Canada’s auto industry in its crosshairs, the province is protecting the jobs and sector from leaving the province for south of the border.

As the U.S. puts Canada’s automotive industry in its crosshairs, the Ontario government is moving to protect the jobs and sector from leaving the province for south of the border.

Friday morning in North Bay, the province announced a multi-million-dollar partnership with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) to bring innovative technology into the vehicle supply chain and secure the jobs of the future in the auto sector.

“As the auto sector transforms through technology, mobility is what they’re calling it … how we move people and goods more efficiently,” said Raed Kadri, vice-president of strategic initiatives and business development of the Ontario Centre of Innovation and OVIN head.

“Automotive vehicle technology, but also transportation infrastructure solutions, as well.”

The Ontario government aims to bolster the domestic supply chain through the $57 million partnership. Of the total, $40 million is from the private sector and $17 million through OVIN.

A total of 30 small- and medium-sized enterprises in Ontario, including one from northern Ontario, will use the money to develop, test, and commercialize new automotive and mobility technology.

“Now more than ever it’s important these companies ... create jobs in our province,” Kadri added.

“We’ll help them to grow globally.”

With the auto industry being hit by 25 per cent U.S. tariffs, the province said funding these projects to protect Ontario auto and technology jobs is of the utmost importance.

Ontario Trade Minister Vic Fedeli said it’s key to support Ontario manufacturing as the province responds to the trade war.

SafeSight Exploration, based in North Bay, is receiving $385,000 to partner with the City of North Bay and tech giant Rogers Communications to retrofit city vehicles with a magnetic scanner, creating real-time 3D road mapping with a 5G network.

The total cost of the project is about $1.2 million.

“It basically creates like an MRI of city streets and underground infrastructure,” said SafeSight president Mike Campigotto.

“That MRI then creates a highly accurate model of a road or a sewer line and the model is transmitted to engineers through the cloud server.”

Real-time data

The scanner, Campigotto explained, will feed real-time data of the roads with potholes, cracks, shoulder erosion or in need of other repairs, allowing the city to dispatch workers to the site faster and more efficiently.

“Better roads, safer roads, fewer potholes and more effective use of taxpayer dollars by a municipality,” he said.

“All those things, I think, are really why this is such an exciting project.”

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Down the line, SafeSight plans to expand the program to scan water and sewer lines, too.

“This is very unique and this is a great opportunity to showcase that there’s technology and solutions all across this province, especially in North Bay,” Kadri added.

OVIN notes that during “current economic uncertainties,” building long-term resilience will be critical to sustain the province’s auto industry.