Ontario partners with Vaughan, Markham to launch demo sites for leading auto technologies

Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) demonstration zone will operate across York Region

Yorkregion.com
July 26, 2023
Yoyo Yan

Ontario launched a new $7.3 million pilot demonstration project for frontier automotive technologies on July 25 with a $2.5 million investment from the provincial government and $1.4 million in combined funding from the City of Vaughan and the City of Markham.

The Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) demonstration zone will operate across York Region, home to Canada’s largest automotive parts and electronics manufacturing cluster, mostly in Markham and Vaughan.

Through OVIN demonstration zone, Ontario small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be able to pilot and demonstrate innovative automotive and mobility solutions, including electric vehicle technologies, shared and integrated mobility solutions, robotics, and connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technologies, in a real-world, urban environment.

“Ontario is uniquely positioned to lead North America’s automotive and smart mobility revolution,” said Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development, job creation and trade. “We will continue to invest in Ontario’s manufacturing and innovation ecosystem as we build the cars of the future.”

Technology demonstrations will be conducted in real-world environments using designated space and infrastructure within Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and Markham Centre. The demonstration zone will support the integration of these technologies in the applicable environments to allow for technology demonstrations, or to showcase them to potential customers. Companies will be able to respond to ongoing calls for applications and submit their innovative automotive and smart mobility technologies and solutions.

“Funding for this demonstration zone supports companies across our province to commercialize their automotive and mobility solutions, and signals to the world Ontario’s capabilities as a leading automotive and mobility jurisdiction,” said Claudia Krywiak, president and CEO of the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI).

Over the last two and a half years, Ontario has attracted over $25 billion in transformative automotive investments by global automakers and suppliers of electric vehicle batteries and battery materials. This includes more than $12.5 billion in electric vehicle (EV) and EV battery-related manufacturing investments and reflect significant and historic investments by Volkswagen, Honda, Stellantis and LG Energy Solution, General Motors, and Ford that will generate and secure thousands of local jobs.

Raed Kadri, head of OVIN said, “Through the launch of the OVIN demonstration zone, we are inviting the world to come see all that Ontario has to offer, from the wealth of critical minerals in northern Ontario, to the manufacturing strength of southern Ontario, and everywhere in between.”

The demonstration zone will operate with the support of key partners, including SmartCentres, Rogers Communications, Syntronic, Honda Canada, AMD, IBM, Qualcomm, Microart Services Inc., Remington Group, PSP Services, York Region, York Region Transit, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), York University, Alectra, and Seneca-HELIX.

Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca hailed this investment as “great news,” noting that “the demonstration zone in Vaughan will make the city better equipped to foster the development of homegrown automotive technologies that will eventually transform transportation in one of the fastest-growing regions in Ontario.”

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti welcomed this initiative and applauded the Ontario government’s commitment to fostering economic development in the city. “Markham has always been home to automotive manufacturing. Our city is proud to be a leader in supporting municipalities across Ontario in adopting next-generation transportation technologies.”