The Government of Ontario selected Northern Ontario to be the next Regional Technology Development Site in the province.
According to a press release, the Northern Ontario Innovation Centre will develop technology for electric, connected and autonomous vehicles. However, the announcement did not include the exact location of the site.
The announcement was part of a broader provincial announcement of $56.4 million in Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) funding.
Other sites of the Regional Technology Development Sites include Durham, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Windsor-Essex and Waterloo. Each site focuses on a single element of technology to develop expertise.
For instance, the Toronto site works on artificial intelligence for connected and autonomous vehicles. This site collaborates with York University, Ryerson University, and the University of Toronto.
The initiative is a partnership between OVIN and the Ontario Centre for Innovation. The development sites are working to drive deals and specific production mandates for hybrid and electric vehicles in Ontario. In addition, they hope to develop a domestic battery ecosystem and position Ontario as an innovation hub in North America.
The expertise from these sites will be part of the push that the Government of Ontario is putting together to entice further vehicle production in Ontario. We have already seen Ford and GM plants start to retool for EVs into the future. However with the pending EV rebates in the US, plans for other plants in the province are not as clear.
Source: Northern Ontario Business
