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