Growing the Drone Industry in Ontario
Ontario is facing a critical juncture in the development of its drone industry. Drones, or Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), can provide services to key industries in Ontario by capturing high quality data from the skies. With Canada’s largest economy, government funding programs, and a strong research ecosystem, Ontario is the ideal location to develop this emerging industry. First, obstacles such as international competition, scaling, and the problems arising from day to day adoption of drones must be solved.
Drone services could benefit industries that contribute over $600 billion to our national GDP. Ontario’s drone policy should focus on three key pillars to ensure we lead a future global industry set to be worth over $20 billion by 2020:
1. A roadmap for the integration of autonomous aircraft in our airspace
2. Bridging the gap in RPAS technology transfer from research to industry
3. Ontario taking a position of leadership in drone commercialisation
Connected & Autonomous Vehicle Technologies
OSPE strives to attract and deliver value to members at all stages of their careers, including students, through collaborative partnerships with other organizations, experts and stakeholders to strengthen our influence and ensure our data and messaging is sound.
With Mitacs[1] funding, OSPE recently partnered with Ryerson University’s Laboratory of Innovations in Transportation (LiTrans) to co-supervise a research project of a Masters student in Civil Engineering. Along with another partner, the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), the project investigated technologies in which engineers play a significant role – Smart Mobility.
Retail Electricity Price Reform: Path to Lower Energy Bills and Economy-Wide CO2 Emission Reductions
Ontario is wasting a significant amount of surplus emission-free electricity. The Government of Ontario can implement electricity price reform that will allow consumers to use that surplus to reduce their annual energy bill and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions without imposing additional costs on the electricity system.
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Propel Your Career in the Smart Mobility Industry: A Guide for Engineering Students and Recent Graduates
This report was prepared for the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) and its partners – the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and Communitech. The purpose of the report was to provide content support for a digital resource that OSPE and its partners have developed a digital tool, propelusospe.ca. This digital resource provides engineering and technology students and recent graduates with up-to-date, industry-based information on Smart Mobility, skill needs and job search techniques in Canada’s auto and transit industries.
Calling all STEM Employers: Why Workplace Cultures Must Shift to Change the Gender Landscape
This report summarizes findings based on interviews, focus groups and a survey of men and women in STEM professions. As well, university and college female students in STEM were consulted and surveyed to gather their perspectives about careers in STEM. Based on the feedback, we can confidently say that women in all STEM disciplines and roles face similar challenges in the workplace.
Opening Doors and Breaking Down Barriers: Highlights from Engineering Professional Success
This report provides information about OSPE’s 18-month pilot mentorship program for women in engineering, which was launched thanks to funding from Status of Women Canada. The report identifies the experiences of mentors and protégées who participated, both international engineering graduates and Canadian engineering graduates, as well as the impact the program had on their engineering careers.
Weathering the Storms: Municipalities Plead for Stormwater Infrastructure Funding
In order to assess Ontario’s ability to cope with the impending impacts of climate change and severe weather patterns, The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO), and Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (OSWCA) have partnered to conduct a study of the condition of stormwater infrastructure and the type of asset management planning that is done in municipalities across Ontario.
Excess Soil Management: Ontario is Wasting a Precious Resource
The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), the Greater Toronto Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (GTSWCA) and the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) have partnered to prepare a study on excess soil management to ensure sustainable practices are considered through the design and construction of Ontario’s infrastructure projects.
Ontario’s Energy Dilemma: Reducing Emissions at an Affordable Cost
The world is facing serious decisions about how to address climate change. Choices have to be made about our energy future. Ontario has just transitioned out of coal generation and has reduced its electricity sector emissions by 80% below 1990 levels in a span of only 12 years. Ontario’s power system engineers want to share the experience they gained with other jurisdictions that are planning their own carbon reduction strategies. This report documents some of those experiences and offers insights on how to reduce GHG emissions.