Funding for 14 Innovation Projects!
Longueuil, Wednesday, May 1, 2024 – IVÉO is proud to unveil the 14 selected projects under the “Innovation Challenges / Smart and Sustainable Cities” program, which encourages experimental projects conducted within participating cities in collaboration with innovative companies.
IVÉO aims to drive new solutions that will allow cities to optimize their operations, reduce their ecological footprint, and improve the quality of services offered to their citizens. The funding provided by IVÉO will be allocated to the company so that it can finalize its solution and make it available to the partner city as part of a pilot project lasting up to 12 months. The funding will cover 50% of the expenses of the projects approved by the evaluation committee. The remaining costs must be covered by the company, either directly or through other government programs it has been able to mobilize.
IVÉO is one of seven organizations chosen to support the realization of projects related to the Quebec Innovation Challenges. These initiatives are part of the Quebec Strategy for Research and Investment in Innovation 2022-2027. The Innovation Challenges thus enable Quebec companies to accelerate the commercialization of their innovative solutions by addressing specific procurement issues faced by ministries and public organizations.
“We are excited to unveil today 14 innovative projects that will help cities, municipalities, and a Quebec MRC address issues of reducing their ecological footprint and serving citizens, while positioning them as leaders in sustainable development. Thanks to grants totaling $2 million, Quebec companies will see their innovative solutions propelled into the market. IVÉO is very proud to contribute to the growth of cities and municipalities that are both greener and smarter,” said Benoit Balmana, General Director of IVÉO.
Here are the details of the 14 selected innovation projects for funding:
SAINT-SULPICE in partnership with Ecotime
Challenge: The municipality of Saint-Sulpice is facing challenges regarding the availability of drinking water. It seeks to reduce its usage through technologies that recover all available water sources (gray water and rainwater).
Innovative Solution: Reduction of the water footprint of the town hall and fire station
Total Project Cost: $400,000 Grant Awarded: $200,000
VARENNES in partnership with Jakarto
Challenge: The City of Varennes is pioneering urban forestry by proposing a significant challenge: analyzing its digital twin to optimize the management of its trees and future plantings. This challenge will help the city ensure compliance with its municipal regulations and improve the living environment for its citizens.
Innovative Solution: Intelligent tool for tree planting
Total Project Cost: $346,000 Grant Awarded: $170,000
L’ASSOMPTION in partnership with X-Telia
Challenge: The project aims to implement an innovation to facilitate dynamic pricing of drinking water and to raise citizen awareness about changing their water consumption behaviors. The project will rely on X-TELIA’s X-O remote meter reading solution and its new Aqua Citizen Portal.
Innovative Solution: Valorization of water consumption data
Total Project Cost: $300,000 Grant Awarded: $150,000
VICTORIAVILLE in partnership with Exo Tactik
Challenge: Introduction and implementation of a precision mapping, inspection, and transmission solution using drones and specialized sensors, serving all departments of the City of Victoriaville.
Innovative Solution: Technical verification rounds via drones
Total Project Cost: $300,000 Grant Awarded: $150,000
SAINT-AMABLE in partnership with GDG Environnement
Challenge: The project includes the biological characterization of targeted territories by the municipality and the experimental deployment of measures to mitigate nuisances caused by mosquito populations.
Innovative Solution: Sustainable control of mosquito nuisance
Total Project Cost: $107,400 Grant Awarded: $53,000
SAINT-HIPPOLYTE in partnership with Smartrek
Challenge: Real-time monitoring project of groundwater fluctuations as part of hydrogeological studies to measure the potable water supply capacity of the aquifer for potential real estate development projects in the City of Saint-Hippolyte.
Innovative Solution: Groundwater monitoring
Total Project Cost: $289,165 Grant Awarded: $144,000
SAINTE-THÉRÈSE & SAINTE-JULIE in partnership with BusPas
Challenge: An innovative, structured, and scalable technology deployed at bus stops to support the development of integrated, intelligent, and shared mobility. The SCiNe deployed at the bus stops is both a Passenger Information Kiosk (PIK) and a data hub that transforms existing bus stop infrastructure (shelters, poles, posts) into intelligent and connected environments.
Innovative Solution: Smarter public transport equipment for users and municipalities
Total Project Cost: $259,950 Grant Awarded: $129,000
SAINT-LIN in partnership with Phista
Challenge: Creation of an innovative solution for sharing parking spaces in Saint-Lin-Laurentides, simplifying the search and reservation process. This initiative strengthens the city’s position as a leader in sustainable development by optimizing the use of existing urban spaces.
Innovative Solution: Parking space sharing
Total Project Cost: $150,000 Grant Awarded: $75,000
VICTORIAVILLE in partnership with Cléo
Challenge: Cléo offers tailored solutions to optimize the electrification of vehicle fleets. Cléo provides impartial expertise and personalized innovative support to ensure reliable charging operations and a successful and sustainable energy transition.
Innovative Solution: V2X Hub for buildings
Total Project Cost: $356,200 Grant Awarded: $178,000
MIRABEL in partnership with Ekilab
Challenge: We propose an innovative and replicable project that integrates two combined technologies. The application of an eco-responsible bacterial and enzymatic formulation on biosolids to reduce confirmed odor nuisances during land application and storage, along with the automation of this process via the adaptation of mechanical and programmable equipment.
Innovative Solution: Reducing the odor load of municipal biosolids stored and spread on agricultural land
Total Project Cost: $137,630 Grant Awarded: $68,000
MRC DES PAYS-D’EN-HAUT in partnership with Blanko
Challenge: The solution proposed in this project exceeds the concept of a conversational robot. While such an AI-powered robot is at the core of the solution, it also includes an innovative decision-support approach that will benefit the MRC as well as the requesting citizens.
Innovative Solution: AI-integrated conversational robot for citizen inquiries to the MRC.
Total Project Cost: $29,200 Grant Awarded: $14,000
LONGUEUIL in partnership with CANN Forecast
Challenge: Our solution combines a real-time updated geospatial database with several modules allowing not only real-time reaction to flood risks but also better preparation for future events, including a dynamic map and an alert system.
Innovative Solution: Real-time portrait of municipal infrastructure performance against heavy rains
Total Project Cost: $386,000 Grant Awarded: $193,000
SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU in partnership with TBmaestro
Challenge: The proposed solution for the City of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu will estimate the budgets necessary for maintenance/preventive maintenance and maintaining assets based on the physical parameters of the buildings (current state of deterioration and the city’s strategic intentions).
Innovative Solution: Optimize asset maintenance/management relations over a building’s lifecycle
Total Project Cost: $200,000 Grant Awarded: $100,000
LAVALTRIE in partnership with Nuvac & Drone Des Champs
Challenge: We propose an innovative project incorporating two disruptive technologies: a system for measuring and sampling aerated pond sludge by drone and treatment using bioaugmentation technology to reduce and degrade the sludge from municipal wastewater treatment ponds.
Innovative Solution: Faster wastewater treatment
Total Project Cost: $257,828 Grant Awarded: $126,000
