Ontario creates network for research and innovation in vehicle technologies

Ontario is positioning itself as a destination for innovation and research around cars of the future with the creation of the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN). On November 8, Premier Kathleen Wynne was on hand in Stratford ON to launch the network and announce funding of $80 million over five years . Working with the Ontario Centres of Excellence, the province envisions the network as a hub to help researchers test and enhance AV technology in a variety of traffic scenarios. The network is the first of its kind in Canada and includes a demonstration zone that can be a converging point for industry and academia. Aside from the demonstration zone, AVIN includes a Research and Development Partnership Fund, Talent Development Program and Central Hub. The zone will help researchers take advantage of opportunities related to connected and autonomous vehicles (C/AV). Being second only to California for information and communications technology companies, Ontario is uniquely situated to lead in C/AV technologies and attract investments and jobs, the government said.