GM Canada Holds “Collision Day” at Communitech
Canadian Start Ups Will Explore Growth Opportunities with GM
2016-10-26
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Waterloo, Ontario (October 26, 2016) – Today GM Canada held a “Collision Day” at 2908@Communitech in Waterloo, Ontario – not to test the crash worthiness of its products – rather to enable Canadian startups and SMEs to explore potential growth opportunities with GM as it takes on an automotive future that will be increasingly electric, connected, autonomous and an important part of the sharing economy.
In February, General Motors Canada joined the Communitech ecosystem with the opening of its “2908 Innovation Lab”. In June, the Company announced a major new software engineering mandate and hiring plan for Canada. Today’s event builds on that progress by linking GM decision makers with Canadian startups and SMEs – potential new partners with capabilities relevant to GM’s future vision. The goal for this collision day is to explore mobility solutions for urban centres in cold climates (i.e. Toronto, Chicago, New York City) with a focus on:
- Autonomous driving technology – sensing, perception, mapping, and diagnostics
- Car sharing – business models, design concepts, and connectivity enablement
- Multi-modal alternative transportation methods
GM Canada President and Managing Director Steve Carlisle said, “At GM Canada we see an important opportunity to expand our Canadian ecosystem and RD relationships in an exciting time of disruption and transformation for our industry. Innovation is today’s critical economic driver and this event with Communitech explores how a range of very capable Canadian startups may fit well with GM’s partnering and investment interests.”
Hon. Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Growth said, “Innovation from companies large and small is essential to help drive Ontario’s economy into the future. That’s why it’s great to see a large company like GM working with Ontario start-ups to develop new ideas that that will keep our auto sector at the forefront of technological disruption and change.”
About General Motors in Canada
Headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, General Motors of Canada Company employs more than 8,400 people across the country and is a recognized leader in green manufacturing. GM Canada markets the full range of fuel-efficient Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles and related services through Canada’s largest automotive dealer network. More information regarding GM Canada models can be found at www.gm.ca, www.gminnovates.ca or by following @GMCanada on Twitter.
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