CENGN backs six new Living Lab projects for Canadian startups

CENGN has approved six Canadian startup and scaleup projects worth $4.5 million under its Living Lab Initiative, with $1.7 million coming from ISED’s Strategic Response Fund. The projects will test robotics, EV charging, agriculture and network analytics solutions in real-world environments as CENGN expands a program aimed at helping more than 100 companies commercialize.

Why it matters: - The projects give Canadian startups access to real end-user environments, which can speed up product validation, commercialization and industry adoption. - The initiative is meant to help build Canadian intellectual property and strengthen the competitiveness of domestic technology companies. - The six projects are part of a broader goal to support more than 100 Canadian startups and scaleups through the Living Lab Initiative.

What happened: - CENGN approved six Canadian startups and scaleups for commercialization projects through its Living Lab Initiative. - The projects have a combined value of $4.5 million. - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s Strategic Response Fund is providing $1.7 million in funding. - The projects will run through CENGN’s Smart Mobility, Connected Robotics and 5G Advanced Living Labs.

The details: - Avidbots will use the Connected Robotics Living Lab, powered by the University of Waterloo’s RoboHub and Rogers, to make design changes to its Kas autonomous floor-scrubbing robot so it can meet EU regulations and move toward the European market. - JPlug will use the 5G Advanced Performance Living Lab, powered by Ericsson, to validate and scale its hardware-agnostic EV charging software platform. - Konnexio will use the 5G Advanced Performance Living Lab, powered by Ericsson, to advance agroTRAX from prototype to commercially ready deployment and validate a UV-C treatment module for table-top strawberries in tunnel environments. - Latence Technologies will use the Connected Robotics Living Lab, powered by the University of Waterloo’s RoboHub and Rogers, to validate its Teleoperation Assurance Module on CENGN’s private 5G testbed for remote operation of heavy machinery. - SoilTeck Corp. will use the Smart Mobility and Agriculture Living Lab, powered by Area X.O, to validate a soil moisture sensor network and irrigation decision support system in a connected farming environment. - Zighra will use the Smart Mobility and Agriculture Living Lab, powered by Area X.O, and the Connected Robotics Living Lab, powered by the University of Waterloo’s RoboHub and Rogers, to test GenesysInsights across real-world conditions. - The CENGN initiative provides access to advanced infrastructure, expert support and real-world testing environments. - ISED’s $45 million investment in CENGN is intended to accelerate technology transformation in Canadian industry through Innovation and Adoption Projects. - Each Innovation Project can receive up to $250,000 in co-investment funding, rising to $500,000 for Adoption Projects.

Between the lines: - The mix of robotics, EV charging, agricultural automation and network analytics points to where Canada is trying to build commercial depth: connected systems that need testing beyond the lab. - The projects also show how CENGN is positioning itself as a bridge between public funding, university infrastructure and private-sector product development. - The government-backed funding structure lowers early commercialization risk for startups that need proof of performance before they can sell at scale.

What's next: - The six companies will begin validating and demonstrating their technologies in live environments. - CENGN’s broader initiative will continue adding projects as it works toward supporting more than 100 startups and scaleups. - The companies will use the results to refine products, pursue market entry and attract adoption from customers and partners.

The bottom line: - CENGN is using public funding and shared testbeds to help Canadian startups move from prototype to market-ready products faster.