TECH RECAP

KANATA NORTH MAKING WAVES IN HEALTH-TECH SECTOR

If you’re wondering where the Kanata North tech park has been making recent headway, the smart health technology sector is certainly a place to look.

Kanata North accelerator L-SPARK recently partnered with digital health provider Calian to launch a new program to help healthcare companies grow and bring their innovative health softwareas-a-service (SaaS) solutions — allowing users to connect to and use cloud-based apps over the Internet — to market by integrating them with the Calian digital health platform.

“The healthcare industry is moving away from the closed, siloed systems of the past to a more open, interconnected ecosystem,” said Sacha Gera, president, IT and cyber solutions at Calian.

“We’re excited to partner with these innovative Canadian companies to solve problems for our customers and increase the pace of digital transformation.”

Kanata North has seen a number of companies making waves in the industry within the past few years. In 2020, more than 1,600 senior care homes adopted healthcare IT company Cliniconex’s automated messaging technology to streamline communication between staff, residents and family, resulting in one million hours of saved staff time.

And, just recently, California-based Semtech Corporation — a leading supplier of circuits used in computing and communications with a presence in Kanata North — announced a partnership with international hygiene group Ontex to develop an Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled diaper tag for seniors. Though Ontex developed and already owns the smart, sensor-filled diaper concept (dubbed Orizon), it’s Semtech’s existing patents that brought their vision to fruition.

Two of Semtech’s networking devices — the LoRa and LoRaWAN, both especially small and energy-efficient — connect the diapers to caregivers’ phones, alerting them via an app when a pad needs to be changed, and can also accurately determine its saturation.

“Improving the quality of life of patients was a key goal in developing the Orizon smart diaper tag and the reason why we choose to utilize LoRaWAN for the solution,” said Annick De Poorter, executive vice president, innovation and sustainability at Ontex.

“Caregivers and patients need the flexibility to move around distances in which LoRaWAN was able to securely provide coverage.”

Ontex and Semtech’s diaper tags come at a lucrative time for the global smart hospital market. According to Statista, the sector is expected to reach a value of $84 billion USD by 2026, with products to increase the quality of care provided outside of hospitals playing a key role in this growth.

“The Orizon smart diaper tag is a strong example of how LoRaWAN is making the world a better and smarter place to live through the improved patient experience,” said Marc Pégulu, vice-president of IoT product marketing and strategy for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group.

“Health and safety should never be overlooked.”

NEW INTOUCH INSIGHT CONTRACT TO HELP AUGMENT VR GAMING TECH

Intouch Insight Ltd., a leader in customer experience measurement solutions based in the Kanata

North Technology Park, announced a $7-million contract to provide geolocation data capture services across the United States for an unnamed NASDAQ-100 American technology company.

Expected to last five months, the contract is a new project from an existing client who has been purchasing data capture services from SeeLevelHX — a market research firm and one of Intouch’s recently-acquired entities — for the past four years. Intouch plans to use its network of North American resources to collect data in various locations required by the client in their efforts to configure a new global augmented-reality mobile game.

“The acquisition of SeeLevelHX last fall was the catalyst for this growth and shows the power of combining Intouch’s unique capabilities and technologies with the expanded customer base from the acquisition,” said Cameron Watt, Intouch president and CEO.

Geospatial data capture has been a prominent part of video game development in the past decade, allowing developers to integrate more authentic scenery and physics into the game design process. Within the sphere of augmented reality, using real-world data to create realistic 3D maps has become an integral part of ensuring an immersive experience for gamers.

The company intends to use LIDAR remote sensing technology for this project, said Watt, which determines ranges by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver. It is especially useful for creating 3D representations of particular locations, including the Earth’s surface and ocean bottom.

“What makes this opportunity particularly exciting, besides its size, is that it illustrates how our core capabilities can extend beyond our current service offerings,” Watt added.

“More and more companies are looking to have the real world represented accurately in their virtual world and we have the capabilities to help them make this happen.”

MDA BUILDING NEW HQ AND SPACE ROBOTICS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN ONTARIO

A new state-of-the-art facility in Brampton, Ont. will house hundreds of highly-skilled employees as well as some of the country’s most innovative space robotics products.

MDA Ltd., a leader in the global space industry and long-term resident in Canada’s largest technology park, announced it will be constructing a new global headquarters and Space Robotics Centre of Excellence in the province in order to continue to support the company’s continued growth and success.

The new 200,000 square-foot centre will feature state-of-the-art labs, manufacturing, R&D, and assembly, integration and test facilities as well as a Space Robotics Mission Control Centre which will allow the MDA team to provide on-orbit operations capabilities to its clients.

“This new facility will be home to our growing team and will further unlock the

BLACKBERRY QNX TECH HELPS KEEP NIAGARA COMMUNITY SAFE

BlackBerry QNX recently announced that Niagara’s 13 municipalities and regional police service will use BlackBerry AtHoc — a critical event management platform and the result of a recent partnership with TELUS — to revamp its new crisis response system to the benefit of nearly 500,000 residents.

“Ensuring the safety and well-being of our community requires reliable communication systems and collaborative partnerships,” said Ron Tripp, the Niagara Region’s acting chief administrative officer.

“BlackBerry AtHoc modernizes our potential of our world-class engineering and space mission expertise, while allowing us to bring to market a full suite of innovative commercial space robotics products that leverage Canadarm3 technology,” said Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA.

The MDA Centre of Excellence for Space Robotics is currently under construction – slated for completion by the end of 2022. The new centre is expected to house nearly 700 employees, which will help drive economic growth and prosperity in the region.

“Ontario is home to the brightest talent and a thriving innovation ecosystem that make projects with incredible companies like MDA, a global leader in the space robotics industry, possible,” Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Today’s investment will strengthen Ontario’s vibrant advanced technology sector, create exciting new jobs and ensure that scientific breakthroughs will continue to be made in our province.”

emergency management systems and provides Niagara with a secure mass communications solution.”

BlackBerry AtHoc is expected to allow the Region of Niagara to improve its communications in times of crisis, making law enforcement’s responses faster and more effective. Already in use by millions of users around the world, the platform boasts an unprecedented ability to allow communities and organizations to quickly gather the information they need to make critical safety decisions in real-time, and was made possible by the collaboration between BlackBerry’s security technology abilities and TELUS’s connectivity.

“We’re thrilled to build on our longstanding relationship with BlackBerry to bring best-in-class emergency solutions to Canadians,” said Marshall Berkin, vicepresident of industry solutions at TELUS Business Solutions.

“The deployment of BlackBerry AtHoc in the Niagara Region will connect Canadians in an exciting new way, keeping them safe and informed during emergency and critical situations.”

SEISMIC MONITORING COMPANY NANOMETRICS INC. LAUNCHES TURN-KEY OCEAN BOTTOM OBSERVATION TECHNOLOGY

Nanometrics Inc., an award-winning seismic monitoring equipment company based in Kanata North, launched its Abalones Ocean Bottom System (OBS), a new turnkey technology to make ocean floor monitoring an easier task.

Watching underwater tectonic activity and changes that could lead to earthquakes or tsunamis is difficult, largely due to the significant amount of power required to operate existing ocean bottom data acquisition systems, making them unreliable. However, Nanometrics’ new turn-key monitoring system — designed, supplied, built and installed fully complete and ready for operation by researchers — aims to address these energyrelated concerns head on.

Designed in partnership with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, the Abalones system features a Pegasus OBS data collection system, which boasts an ultra-low power consumption rate meant to streamline workflows — allowing researchers to collect the best possible data in shallow, intermediate, and deep ocean waters down to 6,000 metres.

CANADIAN SPACE LEADERS SHOOT FOR THE STARS WITH NEW NATIONAL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

A coalition of the country’s leading space innovators announced the creation of Space Canada, a national industry association aimed at offering a united voice for Canada’s space sector.

The formation of Space Canada — to be headed by former New Brunswick premier Brian Gallant — was driven by the global space economy’s recent rapid growth, as well as the increasing potential for space technologies to solve economic, societal and planetary issues through job creation and innovation.

“Space technology monitors our land ecosystems and coastlines, supports disaster relief and protects our oceans and forests,” said Gallant. “Moreover, space can close the digital divide, particularly in our Northern, remote and rural communities, and enhance our national security.”

Given the growing potential for even more expansion within the sector, Space Canada is also looking to convince the Canadian government to create a National Space Council to guide the country’s space policies and investments amid the global space race, which has gained significant momentum in the past decade.

“From small to large, Canada’s space companies are looking to position the sector as a driver of growth, jobs, innovation, intellectual property and exports that will contribute to a future for our country that knows no bounds,” said Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Ltd. and vice-chair of Space Canada.

“It is time to re-establish Canada’s leadership in space on the world stage in collaboration with government, which plays a key role in space as a developer, owner, operator and regulator of space systems, as a funding partner, investor and anchor customer to innovative Canadian space companies.”

Space Canada currently consists of nine founding members: Calian, GHGSat, Magellan Aerospace, Maritime Launch Services, MDA, Mission Control, NorthStar Earth & Space, SpaceBridge, and Telesat, though is looking to expand its membership as it gains traction within the industry — something Dan Goldberg, CEO of Telesat and chair of Space Canada, said is essential to make a substantial economic impact.

“Canada has long been a leader in the space sector and is well positioned to capture the explosive growth in the industry to grow our economy and create high quality jobs,” he said.

“Now is the time to be ambitious, work together and position Canada at the forefront of the New Space Economy.”

STUDENTS FACE SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGE IN FIRSTEVER ‘HACKATHON’

Hub350 was buzzing in October as close to 100 students met for the launch of Kanata North Business Association’s first-ever hackathon.

KNBA president Jamie Petten welcomed students from Carleton University, University of Ottawa, Algonquin College and La Cite to Hub350 for Discover Technata Hacks; a first of its kind initiative in the tech park aimed at solving real world problems by leveraging the power of 5G.

Samir Ayachi, head of 5G SW Development Group and deputy head of Ericsson Ottawa, introduced the possibilities that come with a 5G network, and spoke to what life might be like by 2030 with more reliable, efficient and sustainable networks.

“If you can imagine it, it’s possible,” Ayachi told the students.

As he introduced the real-world problem students were to solve – develop a solution to water and electricity waste in the tech park – he invited them to consider the convergence of the physical and digital worlds, and the power of 5G.

KNBA’s event organizer Erin Moretto said she likes that the Hackathon brings students and more than 20 tech mentors together to work together to solve a problem. It is part of the tech park’s close relationship with Ottawa-area postsecondary institutions that make events like this possible, she added.