Koji Arima, president and CEO of DENSO, announced the opening of the new (R&D) Montreal Innovation Lab alongside several Canadian government officials.
Montreal, Que., is now home to a new satellite research and development (R&D) lab that will focus on innovations in advanced technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The lab was launched by global mobility supplier Denso as part of its “second founding” — its goal to open labs around the world and speed up the advancement of advanced R&D within the automotive industry.
“We know that to quickly create and develop the best AI and mobility solutions, we must tap both local talent and global expertise,” said Kenichiro Ito, CEO of DENSO’s North American Headquarters. “That is why DENSO is strategically investing in research labs all over the world that are entirely dedicated to agile research and development through global collaboration.”
Canadian, Quebec and Montreal government officials were also present for the announcement. François Legault, Premier of Quebec, said Montreal is home to the highest concentration of AI researchers in the world.
“We believe that in the next few years, artificial intelligence will lead to productivity gains of up to 1.4 per cent per year globally,” said Legault. “In Québec, this means our nominal GDP would increase by over $4 billion every year.”
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the investment will help create “good, middle-class jobs” in the region. According to Denso, the initiative is expected to generate “high-value-add jobs” in the mobility space within the Greater Montreal region.
The city was for its unique, interconnected and collaborative AI ecosystem, said Denso. Investissement Québec and Montréal International are also said to have played key roles in attracting the mobility supplier to the Montreal.
