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There are many pressing questions that companies are trying to address in the market, and one way to answer those questions is to connect with experts in the field. That is precisely what is meant to do – bring together researchers and industry in a day of discussions, brainstorming and exploring potential paths toward solutions.

On October 4th, �ʹ�����’s Partnerships and Innovation hosted, together with Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Ottawa, and Hub350, , a virtual event which explored the future of mobility. Throughout the day 20 different research questions, posed by 14 organizations, were addressed through thought provoking discussions. The context of mobility was varied and broad for the event - from next generation transportation technology, securing communication, mobility supports to enhance aging in place, policy and planning, and beyond. The day also featured a networking session with presentations from funders and mobility ecosystem partners including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), Mitacs, The Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), the Downsview Aerospace Innovation and Research hub (DAIR), and EnerTech Capital.

With 79 academic attendees taking part from across the three participating research institutions, the day of discussions resulted in 43 expressions of interest from researchers that the companies are currently reviewing. The true value of the day is in the connections and thoughtful considerations provided by both parties in thinking about and offering new perspectives and insights around the mobility issues.

“�����ѻ岹��™ is a great opportunity for us to connect with industrial partners,” says Jianbing Ni, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical of Computer Engineering at �ʹ�����’s. “The discussions are very productive around the questions proposed by industry participants. It helped me to build the research collaborations with my partners. This is the second year I have participated in �����ѻ岹��™ discussions, and I look forward to future events.”

Next month, researchers and industry will have the opportunity to come together again under a different theme. Organized by Toronto Metropolitan University and �ʹ�����’s University, and in collaboration with the Ontario Water Consortium, will take place on November 24, 2022. �����ѻ岹��™ Water will explore a variety of current challenges that affect water – including ongoing growth and change of communities, increasing consumption, climate change and changing land use – and have impacted local ecosystems and water infrastructure. Questions from external organizations are now available on the .

If you are a researcher interested in participating in �����ѻ岹��™ Water, registration for questions is open until November 11, 2022! Please join us for the information session on November 2, 2022 and/or register to join one or more discussions with external organizations.

If you have questions about the event, please contact one of the event organizers Lisa Leung (Toronto Metropolitan University) or Shoma Sinha (�ʹ�����’s University).

�ʹ�����’s signed a 2-year agreement with Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in 2021, which allows �ʹ�����’s to use the Academic Industry Meeting Day (AIMDay™) methodology and platform under TMU’s agreement with Uppsala University, Sweden. Established by Uppsala in 2008, �����ѻ岹��™ is an internationally recognized methodology to tackle questions around a central theme. Implemented and refined by leading universities around the world, this highly effective program enables university-based researchers and external organizations to connect and bring world-class research to life. �ʹ�����’s Partnerships and Innovation led the organization of the �����ѻ岹��™ Mobility event and is continuing to facilitate discussions regarding potential collaborations following the event, and previously partnered with TMU to deliver an �����ѻ岹��™ Livable Cities event in February 2022.

“One of our key mandates is to create and facilitate opportunities for researchers to connect with potential partners and to pursue collaboration interests,” says Janice Mady, Director of Research and Innovation Partnerships. “Providing researchers and industry with a forum to kickstart conversations on topics of mutual interest is an important opportunity that can identify potential solutions, inform and advance research, and showcase the expertise of our researchers.”