Applanix was celebrated for our contribution to Canadian innovation by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) on April 15th, 2019, with an announcement that we will receive $2 million dollars in national funding from NRC’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP).
The announcement – delivered by Canada’s own Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, and Richmond Hill’s Member of Parliament Majid Jowhari – explained IRAP as a preliminary step in helping Canadian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, or SMEs, commercialize their innovations by providing access to valuable resources, as a means to strengthening Canada’s economic future.
The funding is expected to expand Applanix’ team size with the creation of new jobs, and help further the development of core autonomous vehicle technology. Advancements in areas such as “Sensor Fusion” and “Machine Learning” will be employed by Applanix and our international parent company, Trimble, in products available for export worldwide. IRAP’s contribution is therefore a major investment in leading technology that has the potential to greatly impact emerging global markets, through autonomous applications such as Construction, Mining, and Agriculture.
This is not the first subsidy the Industrial Research Assistance Program has awarded us: since 2009, NRC-IRAP has supported four other Applanix projects, including the development of Indoor Mapping technologies, and the formulation and deployment of new business models for the professional use of UAVs. Additionally, IRAP continues to actively facilitate industry connections for Applanix to further advance its research across Canada.
View the Canadian Govn't News Release
National Research Council Announcement Event
Monday, April 15, 2019 | Hibar Systems Ltd.
From Left: Richmond Hill’s Member of Parliament Majid Jowhari; The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development; Joseph Hutton, Applanix Dir. of Inertial Technology & Airborne Products.
