Public transit is the backbone of the city, and the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) has a long history of evolving public transit to meet the needs of Hamiltonians since the 1800s.
As the city has started looking into integrating Light Rail Transit (LRT) services into its network, HSR is taking a forward-thinking approach to improve passenger safety, user experiences, and operational efficiency. A key part of this strategy? Partnering with innovators who can help shape the future of transit.
HSR teamed up with the Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility (CITM)— a sector specialty program for transportation and mobility innovators offered by Innovation Factory and backed by the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN)—to launch the 2024 Winter Innovation Challenge.
CITM connects innovators with the resources, partnerships, and funding opportunities needed to commercialize smart, electrified, data-driven transportation infrastructure solutions.
By leveraging CITM’s extensive network of Regional Technology Development Sites (RTDS’), government agencies, academic institutions, and private corporations, these challenges not only drive economic growth within Ontario but also spark meaningful advancements in the transportation sector on a provincial and national scale.
A Call for solutions by HSR
HSR was looking for smart solutions that enhanced City of Hamilton’s overall ridership experience. The Winter Innovation Challenge with HSR aimed to tackle several objectives:
- Enhancing passenger safety, especially for vulnerable and protected groups, without relying on on-site security personnel.
- Improving ridership interactions by providing riders with accessible, meaningful, and personalized communication.
- Data-driven decision-making by leveraging robust data insights to optimize transit services, increase efficiency, and elevate the overall user experience.
“HSR and the City of Hamilton partnered with CITM and its Innovation Challenge Program to develop and refine innovative capabilities as part of our core operations,” shared Ali Sabourin, Customer Experience and Innovation Manager at HSR. She continues to add, “At a time where HSR is embarking on expansion and inclusion of the LRT services, it is important to capture essential innovation and deliver cutting edge and value added user experiences while increasing the connectivity of our City for future generations.”
Meet the finalists from the Winter Innovation Challenge with HSR
The Winter Innovation Challenge attracted a range of start-ups. Out of the talented group of entrepreneurs, these innovators stood out the most:
- DeafAI: Uses AI to develop digital human avatars for real-time voice-to-sign-language interpretation, enhancing accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing passengers.
- Trst Innovation Inc: Revolutionizes access control, payments, and member verification through advanced mobile and biometric technology, streamlining operations and boosting rider security.
- Metropolitan Advanced Technologies: Builds decentralized IoT connectivity and operational technology cybersecurity platforms, safeguarding critical infrastructure and ensuring reliable, secure transportation networks.
- In A Blink: Offers ultra-high-speed, ultra-cyber secure wireless data transfer solutions, enabling real-time analytics and rapid, secure data exchange for large mobility datasets.
Through the Innovation Challenges, these entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to gain a foothold in the market by potentially piloting their solutions in collaboration with major industry players like HSR. “We’re thrilled to explore how these technologies can integrate into HSR’s services,” shared Sabourin.
The HSR Winter Innovation Challenge brought together HSR’s expertise and CITM’s start-up network, opening up doors for creative solutions that can advance the public transit experience. “Looking ahead, we anticipate future collaborations that bring innovative tech to improve our customer experience,” added Sabourin.
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