Open-Air Laboratory for Smart Living now open to all

October 12, 2017 - Press Release

Montréal, October 12, 2017 – The technological infrastructure for Canada's first Open-Air Laboratory for Smart Living, created by Videotron, Ericsson, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) and the Quartier de l'innovation de Montréal (QI), was unveiled in June, attracting international attention from the scientific and business communities. Today, the Laboratory has passed another milestone with the launch of the LabVI.ca web portal.

The partners in the Laboratory took the wraps off the portal tonight at an event attended by a hundred members of Montréal's innovation community. A one-stop shop for anyone and everyone interested in contributing to the Laboratory, LabVI.ca is packed with useful information and explanatory videos.

Come write the future of smart living with us
LabVI.ca showcases the technology the Laboratory makes available to the community and the projects in progress. It is also the place where researchers and businesses large and small can submit the ideas they want to field-test in the Laboratory's unique ecosystem.

Established businesses, startups and researchers are invited to visit the portal and click on the “Submit a Project” tab to access the eligibility criteria, full submittal information and a step-by-step online submission form. Proposals will be evaluated by a selection committee composed of representatives of the four partners (Videotron, Ericsson, QI and ÉTS).

Members of the public are invited to visit the portal to suggest life-improving ideas for the academic and entrepreneurial communities to pursue, or to apply to be testers of new technologies at the Laboratory, with one click.

What the Laboratory offers
In addition to providing access to telecommunications researchers and know-how, the Laboratory is a gateway to a unique urban environment: the Quartier de l'innovation and its residents. It is also equipped with pre-5G and IoT technological tools to support the development of smart living projects. The tools are organized into the following three core pillars.

Connectivity: Anywhere, anytime advanced connectivity demands densified network coverage. The required responsiveness is enabled by LTE/5G cellular networks, Wi-Fi and other technologies.

Sensors and probes: The Internet of Things (IoT) is a fast-developing realm that revolves around the ability of objects to connect and to generate interactions in their physical environment and in their digital ecosystem.

Data and analysis: Cloud-based solutions and artificial intelligence are harnessed to extract useful information in order to create predictive tools and perform analyses. The data is confidential and anonymous. It is used to support the development of practical technological applications that benefit the public and it opens up innovative new possibilities for the entire digital ecosystem, from startups to established players.

For more information or to submit a project, visit LabVI.ca.

About the Open-Air Laboratory for Smart Living
In 2016, Videotron created Canada's first Open-Air Laboratory for Smart Living, in collaboration with Ericsson, École de technologie supérieure and the Quartier de l'innovation de Montréal (QI). The facility, located in the heart of QI, is designed to field-test, under real-life conditions, concrete technological applications with the potential to improve and simplify Quebecers' lives. The unique partnership brings together in one vast test site the knowledge, expertise and technology to implement various components of smart living, including 5G technology and the Internet of Things. The Laboratory is a model of collaboration in which the community, academe, industry and the municipal administration work together to help make Montréal a leader in the next technological revolution.

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Information:

Alexandra Graveline
Videotron
514 380-7069
alexandra.graveline@videotron.com

Pierre Boucher
Ericsson
514 379-7267
pierre.boucher@ericsson.com
 Emmanuelle Berthou
École de technologie supérieure
514 396-8427  
Emmanuelle.Berthou@etsmtl.ca

Antoine Leduc
Quartier de l'innovation
438 387-3347, ext. 203
aleduc@quartierinnovationmontreal.com

Press inquiries

Véronique Mercier

Vice-president, Communications QMI

medias@videotron.com