VANCOUVER, BC,
July 10,
2024 /CNW/ - Three new projects have been funded
through B.C.'s Integrated Marketplace program led by Innovate BC,
two of which will seek to bolster operational capabilities at
Vancouver International Airport
(YVR) through drone-based runway monitoring and an enhanced paging
communication system in the terminal, and the other will support
the development of a state-of-the-art diagnostics component for
General Fusion's new Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) machine, called
Lawson Machine 26 (LM26).
"Creating innovative ideas and solutions that reduce emissions,
improve competitiveness and support local companies is essential
for creating a strong economy that moves British Columbians
forward," said Brenda Bailey,
Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. "I look
forward to seeing the contributions these three projects will make
to people in B.C. and globally."
Created to help drive innovation in the province, the Integrated
Marketplace links strategic partners operating at testbeds (an
industry site, such as an airport, seaport, or mine, or a
conceptual space such as a health network, a series of farms or a
digital platform) and B.C.-based solution providers to implement,
scale up, and export B.C. technology solutions. This framework
allows B.C. industries to receive assistance in adopting innovation
and new technologies while participating solution providers earn a
critical reference customer to support their growth.
These three projects are part of the Integrated Marketplace's
Vancouver International Airport
testbed, which includes YVR as well as select organizations such as
General Fusion that operate in its vicinity.
"As a key partner in the Integrated Marketplace Initiative, YVR
provides an ideal environment for local innovators and clean-tech
companies to develop and implement made-in-B.C. solutions that work
at our airport and can likely be applied to other airports and
industries," said Tamara Vrooman,
President and CEO at Vancouver
International Airport. "We are very proud to be a testbed for
innovation and to see solutions from this collaboration advance
B.C. business, improve our operation, and benefit our community and
the economy that supports it."
Diagnostic Capabilities at General Fusion
General Fusion, which operates as part of the Vancouver International Airport testbed, is
working with Victoria-based Motus
Design Group to design an electronic component that will enhance
the diagnostic system for LM26 – a fusion demonstration machine
designed to achieve first-of-a-kind breakthroughs in 2025 and 2026
that will de-risk and fast-track the company's path to
commercialization.
Fusion is the ultimate clean energy solution – it is the energy
source that powers the sun and stars. Fusion is the process by
which two light nuclei merge to form a heavier one, producing a
massive amount of energy. General Fusion's two decades of
technology development in B.C. and talented team of 140 employees
in the province put commercial fusion within reach. The company
aims to deliver zero-carbon energy to the grid by the early to
mid-2030s with its proprietary MTF technology.
Under the project, a newly designed, first-of-a-kind component
will enable General Fusion to quickly install diagnostics on LM26
and support the extraction and storage of data. When operational,
the robust diagnostics system will provide thousands of data points
used to improve the capabilities of the machine with each run.
Predictive Monitoring at Vancouver International Airport
Working with Victoria-based
Niricson, YVR is exploring drone technology to assess the condition
of its runways. Using drone technology will create efficiencies for
the airport, as teams will have near real-time access to data that
will help inform operations and maintenance decisions. Data will
also be applied to a predictive model, whereby upcoming needs and
considerations will be projected based on current state and defined
logic for future planning.
Drone technology will also help reduce carbon emissions from the
airport's operations, as fleet vehicles will be required less for
condition monitoring work. Additionally, its integration into
operations and the associated data collected has the potential to
inform the wider adoption of drone-based infrastructure condition
assessments across other airports and industries.
Mass Paging at Vancouver
International Airport
YVR is working to enhance its mass paging, or PA, system in the
terminal. With the support of Surrey-based Hybrid Audio Visual, YVR will
improve sound quality, ensure precise troubleshooting with the
thousands of speakers across the terminal, and increase
customization of its paging system. For example, with the new
paging interface, YVR will be able to isolate specific areas of the
terminal for certain announcements while ensuring all announcements
are clear and audible for the benefit of travellers and
employees.
In additional to greater accessibility and reliability, the new
mass paging system also uses new technology and equipment, with
speakers switching to a low-power mode when not in use, which has
the potential to provide energy savings of up to 40 per cent.
"The Integrated Marketplace connects some of the province's most
significant economic drivers to local innovation providers that
have the ideas and expertise to evolve how our industries operate
while supporting their efforts to decarbonize," said Peter Cowan, President and CEO of Innovate BC.
"This suite of projects perfectly represents what is possible
through the program, and I am excited to see how both YVR and
General Fusion can leverage these technologies towards greater
efficiencies, output, and impact."
These projects are part of the Government of B.C.'s investment
of up to $11.5 million and the
Government of Canada's investment,
through PacifiCan, of up to $9.9
million in the Integrated Marketplace. It follows the recent
announcement of Prince Rupert Port Authority's testing of zero and
low-emission trucks through a project delivered via the Integrated
Marketplace.
Additional Quotes
The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of Emergency
Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic
Development Agency of Canada
"PacifiCan knows that B.C. entrepreneurs are developing creative
solutions needed around the world. The three projects announced
today are part of the Vancouver
International Airport testbed, and feature technologies that lower
costs, reduce emissions and increase efficiencies. They are
examples of how the Integrated Marketplace program is helping local
companies prove their technologies here at home, before taking on
the world."
Greg Twinney, CEO, General
Fusion
"On our groundbreaking path to commercial fusion energy,
Innovate BC's Integrated Marketplace program is an excellent
opportunity to work with companies like Motus Design in our own
backyard. We're building world-changing fusion technology right
here in B.C. and want to work with other local innovators along the
way. From electronics hardware and engineering support to
diagnostics and data analysis, we're leveraging the unique
capabilities of the thriving technology sector to deliver
practical, clean fusion power in the next decade."
Josh Erickson, CEO &
Co-Founder, Motus Design Group
"Motus is excited to be deploying our digital optical converter
technology at General Fusion. The technology aims to improve
the reliability and scalability of hundreds of channels of sensor
systems needed to collect and manage data on General Fusion's
transformative LM26 fusion demonstration machine. Better data
helps General Fusion on its path to make British Columbia a leader in commercializing
zero carbon energy through fusion."
Harsh Rathod, Ph.D., CEO & Co-founder, Niricson
"We are excited to deploy our technology to enhance the
condition assessment workflow of runways at YVR. The idea is to
build the deterioration model with technology driven datasets, to
go from reactive maintenance to predictive maintenance. Moreover,
to help the asset owner, YVR operation team, to improve the
efficiency of the entire inspection workflow (from manual to
digital) to "flatten" the maintenance curve."
Stu Wight, Co-Founder, Hybrid
Audio Visual Inc.
"Working with YVR and Innovate BC has been a great opportunity
for Hybrid AV. As a relatively new company this YVR project has
allowed our company to design, install and service state of the art
technologies in a world class facility. The benefits to the public
and YVR will make a noticeable difference in intelligibility of
announcements, reliability of the system and cost savings in
operations. This system will undoubtably be showcased to airports
around the world and bring YVR to the forefront in public
announcement technologies."
About Innovate BC
A Crown Agency of British
Columbia, Innovate BC works to foster innovation across the
province and bolster the growth of the local economy through
delivering a wide range of programs that help companies start and
scale, access talent and encourage technology development,
commercialization, and adoption. Innovate BC also harnesses crucial
data collection and research, and works to forge strategic industry
and community partnerships that create more opportunities for B.C.
innovators.
SOURCE Innovate BC