Why Ontario’s automotive future could lie Windsor-Essex

New partnership between WeTech Alliance and the University of Windsor. CTV Windsor’s Bob Bellacicco has details.

The Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) has invested $1.5-million dollars to support the Windsor-Essex Regional Technology Development Site, positioning the region as a key to Ontario’s automotive, technology, battery and smart mobility future.

“A lot of benefit will come to Windsor-Essex companies and start ups,” said Windsor-Essex Tech Alliance President and CEO Yvonne Pilon.

The investment from OVIN is expected to help Windsor-Essex solidify its position as an automotive innovation network over the course of a three-year deal.

“We’d see a lot more startups in Windsor-Essex. We’d see more technologies coming out of here. We see companies selling globally,” said Raed Kadri, head of OVIN when asked what he’d like to see by the end of the partnership. “We see people investing in Windsor. We see more jobs in Windsor,” he asserted.

He also pointed out $3.35 million is being invested from the private sector and $1.75 million from broader public sector bringing the overall total to $6.6-mllion dollars to help the local network to grow.

The connection to OVIN also gives companies and start ups access to other companies across the province in places like the Durham Region, Hamilton-Halton Region, Simcoe-Barrie and Waterloo to name a few.

“Ottawa has Area X.O where they can do light testing as well as in Sudbury at Northcott you can go in for a live mine and test your technology into a unique terrain,” pointed out Ed Dawson, Senior Director of Innovation and Trade at Invest Windsor-Essex. “This is a great opportunity for us to raise awareness of what we have going on in the City of Windsor and in the County of Essex.”

Local companies will have access to expertise, testing facilities, and specialized technology across the province.

“When you think about regional companies in Windsor-Essex, they’ll now have eight other nodes they can tap into,” Pilon noted.

We Tech Alliance will lead the Windsor-Essex site, supporting startups and small businesses working in advanced automotive and mobility technologies.

We Tech is also partnered with the Port Authority, Windsor Police Services and the Windsor Detroit Tunnel Corporation offering opportunities for companies to test and grow.

“We have industry here from automotive to agriculture, logistics to health care. We’ve got a legacy industry here that’s looking to modernize,” said Adam Castle, Director of Entry Services. “We have this opportunity to help companies move into these supply chains and really build something impactful.”

Opportunities are being explored through the Tunnel Corporation. “Small and medium sized companies get to try their technology out with us,” said company president Tal Czudner.

He notes technology dealing with border wait times and cement integrity has been tested. “We (the tunnel) have been around for 96 years and there are a lot of things that are relevant to the integrity part. We’ve got our annual audits but what type of new technology that we can use to try and make that audit more efficient and better.”

Czudner says the tunnel corporation is currently testing three different technologies. He feels opportunities could lead to companies setting up a business and benefit in the long run, “Eventually our best friends to the south will become best friends again and we can springboard. It’s a great opportunity to have a business here to get access to the biggest market in the world.”

Innovation week continues in downtown Windsor Wednesday with an open streets event on Chatham Street at Ferry Street from 2pm-6pm. According to Pilon, two vehicles from Project Aero will be set up along with six tech and mobility companies and food trucks.