Aurrigo, the dedicated autonomous vehicle (AV) division of RDM Group, has opened a new sales and technical office in the heart of Ottawa and is now seeking academic, industry and government partners to support testing, validation and further development of its novel AV technology.
The company has already enlisted research leaders at Carleton University to facilitate AV trials on its campus. Leveraging critical support from Invest Ottawa, the lead economic development agency for Canada’s Capital, the Coventry-headquartered firm believes its four-seater pods will tap into the country’s appetite for the latest transport technology and offer a viable first and last mile transport solution for moving people around key locations.
The firm marked its arrival in Canada by delivering a keynote presentation at the Third Annual Ottawa Autonomous Vehicles Summit, as well as showcasing one of its demonstrator pods to the audience.
Aurrigo chief David Keene said: “We have received significant global interest in our technology and have already invested in ‘on-the-ground’ presences in Australia and the US. Canada, with its forward-facing approach to innovation, was the next natural opportunity and we’re delighted we have now put a marker in the sand to show our commitment to the region.
“Invest Ottawa has been very supportive and have assisted us in finding a suitable location in the heart of the City and introducing us to possible partners. It has made the process a lot easier and we are delighted that we can now start turning the discussions into actual trials – moving autonomous vehicles being used in Canada one step closer. The pod we’ve brought over is in full Canadian livery and certainly provoked a lot of interest at the event.”
The Autonomous Vehicle Summit was organised by the Kanata North Business Association and Invest Ottawa, in partnership with the Canadian Automated Vehicles Centre of Excellence (CAVCOE).
