Shaping the future of Canada’s robotics-fueled economic development

A student works in the Continuum Robotics Laboratory of Professor Jessica Burgner-Kahrs at the University of Toronto Mississauga, on August 9, 2021. The lab is one of many across U of T that contributes expertise to the Robotics Institute. (Photo: Nick Iwanyshyn)

Launched in 2022 by U of T’s Robotics Institute in partnership with industry, government and academia, the Canadian Robotics Council (CRC) fills a longstanding gap for a collective, national voice for robotics in Canada. By bringing together leading robotics experts, the Council aims to build visibility for Canadian robotics capabilities at home and abroad, and help Canadians understand where, how and when is the right time to adopt robots. The Council is co-chaired by leaders from the Robotics Institute, which serves as the CRC's lead academic partner, and from the robotics industry.

The CRC now includes more than 150 members and has published several reports identifying opportunities for growth in the sector. It has so far hosted two national symposia — in Ottawa in 2022 and in Montreal in 2023 — with a third planned for Toronto on June 14, 2024. It has also expanded global collaborations at international conferences like Automate and the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).

In 2023, the CRC was recognized by Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) for its role in shaping the country's future in automation and advanced manufacturing technologies with $100,000 in funding from NGen towards helping the council achieve its goal of strengthening Canada’s robotics ecosystem. NGen also named the CRC as its robotics lead within its Cluster Accelerator Network. In this role, the CRC will support Canada’s manufacturing sector with case studies and sector data that demonstrate how robotics can help Canadian manufacturers be safer, more productive, and globally competitive places to work.