Roundtable host: Frédéric Pilote

Canada's reputation as a leader in space robotics is built on decades of public investment and groundbreaking missions. In an era of new federal mandates for greater efficiency and fiscal restraint, a critical challenge is to bridge the gap between space-based breakthroughs and terrestrial applications. This is vital to ensure that public investment generates maximum return for the entire Canadian economy. For the robotics ecosystem, this represents a significant opportunity to access cutting-edge, publicly-funded technology and to contribute its own innovations to the future of space exploration.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is pleased to host this in-person roundtable consultation. This session is designed to gather early input from leaders in the Canadian robotics innovation ecosystem, using the CRC Symposium as a timely platform to engage with a cross-section of the ecosystem, identify synergies, and explore the potential for new partnerships. This consultative roundtable is an opportunity to collaboratively explore how to improve and expand technology transfer (TT), fostering a two-way flow of innovation that strengthens both our space program and our national economy.

Structure (90 minutes)

• Overview of CSA’s TT role and activities: A brief presentation by CSA staff on the agency’s TT role, activities, including its goals and existing programs.
• Open discussion on barriers, opportunities, and mechanisms for TT in the space and robotics sectors: A moderated conversation to explore the challenges and successes of technology transfer in the space and robotics sectors.
• Exploration of spin-off and spin-in opportunities between space and non-space technologies: A collaborative discussion on the potential spin-off applications where space technologies can create new value in non-space industries, and to consider spin-in opportunities where terrestrial technologies can be adapted to enhance future space missions.
• Feedback and recommendations from participants: A final round-up to summarize key themes and gather feedback, which will help to inform the CSA's future TT strategies.

This roundtable is designed to facilitate a dialogue that will directly contribute to the CSA's strategic planning. The insights gathered will inform key CSA stakeholders, with the goal of producing:

• A Deeper Understanding of TT Challenges: A prioritized list of the main challenges hindering effective technology transfer and commercialization between the space and non-space sectors, from the perspective of the broader robotics community.
• Identified Themes for Collaboration: A summary of potential synergies and collaborative themes that could form the basis for future partnership opportunities between different organizations (SMEs, academia, large industry, non-profit and government).

Insights for a more agile and connected TT approach: A summary of feedback and a clear set of recommendations that will help the CSA improve its technology transfer

Roundtable host: Eric Jackson

The world’s oceans and waterways are increasingly a domain of global competition. As trade routes shift, decarbonization targets intensify, and climate change reshapes the Arctic, a new era of maritime security and commercial resilience is no longer an option—it is a strategic imperative. The need for continuous situational awareness has never been more urgent.

This working session will define a blueprint for a Canadian maritime situational response network, leveraging Canada's world-leading expertise in marine autonomy. We will focus on establishing the supply chain partnerships required to deploy and maintain a persistent, multi-layered network of autonomous systems to secure our maritime domain. Our goal is to connect Canada's strengths—in advanced sonar, sensor fusion, long-endurance autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and advanced manufacturing and logistics—to the pressing needs of marine defense and infrastructure partners. By establishing the supply chain partnerships required to deploy and maintain the network, we can secure our maritime domain in both open water and in port environments.

This session's mandate is to produce a tangible strategy for a marine autonomy working group. By defining roles, establishing a technical architecture, and forging a cohesive network, we will secure Canada's leadership as a provider of autonomous, data-driven maritime defense and resilience solutions.

Agenda

• Global Imperatives & Canadian Opportunity (15 minutes): We will set the stage by discussing the global context and the urgent need for autonomous marine situational awareness and response solutions. This will highlight how a new era of pressures—from supply chain resilience and threats to undersea infrastructure, to climate monitoring and Artic sovereignty—is driving the demand for advanced autonomy and continuous presence, spanning applications in port and underwater infrastructure, maritime safety, aquaculture, offshore energy, and deep-sea exploration.
• Building the Response Network Collaborative Ecosystem Ideation (60 minutes): This session will define the components of a comprehensive network. We will brainstorm a wide range of concrete, technically feasible concepts for applications such as port automation & monitoring, advanced marine infrastructure & inspection systems, the capability to manufacture such systems at scale, and training a modern marine workforce. We will also discuss the core technical capabilities that are required to realize these goals, including onboard energy storage and recharging, low-bandwidth acoustic communications, and the need for intelligent and trustworthy autonomous vehicles, many of which must rely on embedded, on-board data processing rather than large-scale AI models that are impractical for underwater applications. We will then pinpoint the highest-impact dual-use scenarios where these innovations can be applied, including opportunities in search and rescue, environmental monitoring, and fisheries management.
• Action Plan & Partnership Development (15 minutes): This segment will identify key partners and define clear action items to establish a dedicated marine autonomy working group. The focus will be on creating a tangible blueprint for this collaborative network and identifying the supply chain partners necessary to move from concept to deployment.

Outcomes

• A Blueprint for a National Response Network: We will produce a clear, action-oriented plan for establishing a marine autonomy working group, including defined roles for defense and infrastructure partners. The blueprint will address the specific needs of securing both open-water and critical port environments.
   
• Prioritized List of Capabilities and Required Collaborations: An inventory of the highest-impact technologies needed for continuous situational awareness, with a focus on uncrewed and minimally crewed vessels, tethered and untethered systems, deployment and recovery, specific sonar and electromagnetic monitoring systems, and the capacity to scale their domestic manufacture.
   
• Direct Input for a National Marine Autonomy Strategy: Concrete insights for a strategic document on the technical and commercialization paths required to field this network, ensuring sovereignty and resilience of Canada's waterways and critical infrastructure.
   
• Direct Input for a National Strategy or Action Plan: Concrete insights for a strategic document on the technical and commercialization paths required to field this network,  to propel Canada to a global leadership position.

Reference materials:  

• Autonomous fleet ice management via reinforcement learning https://nrc.canada.ca/en/stories/autonomous-fleet-ice-management-reinforcement-learning 
• How Canada is advancing autonomous ships and smart ocean technologyhttps://nrc.canada.ca/en/stories/how-canada-advancing-autonomous-ships-smart-ocean-technology
• Canada's Ocean Supercluster 2022-2023 Annual Report: Offers insights into OSC projects, investments, and Canada's broader ocean economy goals. https://oceansupercluster.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/OSC_AnnualReport_2023_Eng-1.pdf
• COVE's 2024 Ocean Enterprise Report: A detailed look at Canada's marine technology sector, including growth, AI, and dual-use aspects. https://coveocean.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Canadian-Ocean-Enterprise-2024.pdf

Transport Canada's "Transportation Sector Regulatory Review Roadmap" (Relevant Marine sections): Outlines regulatory efforts for autonomous vessels in Canada. https://tc.canada.ca/en/corporate-services/acts-regulations/international-standards-targeted-regulatory-review-regulatory-roadmap

Roundtable host: Ryan Grant

AI is fundamentally changing the way we work and the future of the way we interact with technology. A huge part of this change is physical AI, the intersection of AI with robotics is at the forefront of revolutionary technology that will impact lives around the world. With physical AI comes the imperative for compute to match the needs of technology and ensure our society continues to remain under our control.

This working session will develop a blueprint for determining how much computing power is needed for physical AI in the future. The focus of this roundtable will be on supercomputing resources needed for physical AI. Our goal is to connect the robotics community and the supercomputing community for them to work together on future sovereign computing major projects and ensure that Canada remains in control of its technological future. 

This session's mandate is to establish the first estimation system for physical AI needs in Canada and develop an approach to meet those needs supported by the private and public sector.

Agenda

• The Challenge (15 minutes): We will first discuss the challenges of supplying the supercomputing resources to train and improve physical AI systems. We will discuss the challenges of estimating the required compute and set the stage for subsequent discussion. 
• How Much Compute and How do we Build it? (60 minutes): This part of the roundtable will be a discussion of how we can go about estimating the needs for high-performance compute and estimate the datacentre footprint required for a Canadian Sovereign supercomputing platform. We will discuss how we can create a system for estimation and then discuss the strategies that can be used to fund and deploy the needed compute. We will develop two deliverables from this portion of the roundtable and estimate of the compute needed and two or more strategies for making supercomputing for physical AI a reality in Canada. These strategies should represent Canada taking a leadership position in physical AI compute on the world stage.
• Action Plan & Partnership Development (15 minutes): This segment will focus on the partnerships needed and the action plan for concrete further work in making the issues discussed at the roundtable a reality.

Outcomes

• A Method for Physical AI Compute Requirements Estimates: We will produce an estimation method for calculating how much compute we need to make Canada a Physical AI compute global leader.
   

Collaborations and Strategy: As this area is new, we will forge new collaborative partners and develop a strategy to work together to make physical AI possible in Canada.

Roundtable host: Steve Waslander

Canada faces a critical productivity gap, and next-generation AI-robotics offers a powerful solution. Advances in 4D scene understanding, agentic reasoning, robotic mobility, and manipulation are converging to enable a new era of intelligent, flexible robotic systems that can significantly boost productivity and GDP growth across key Canadian sectors.

This is a focused working session directly supporting a major NFRF-Transformation (NFRF-T) proposal led by Professor Steven Waslander and colleagues at the University of Toronto Robotics Institute and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. Our NFRF-T proposal uniquely integrates cutting-edge robotics with strategic innovation policy to drive world-leading advancements with high commercialization potential. In this workshop, we aim to identify high-impact technical applications of flexible robotic agents within Canada's primary industries (manufacturing, resource extraction, construction, logistics) that can be propelled by this integrated approach.

We welcome academic, industry, and government leaders with technical insights into advanced autonomy. We also seek those with deep expertise in translating innovations into real-world Canadian challenges and national strategy, particularly given the NFRF-T's dual technical/policy thrusts and focus on fostering a strong Canadian robotics ecosystem with commercial success. This session will cover:

• NFRF-T Vision & Pillars (15 minutes): Proposal overview: strategic aim, core technical & policy pillars, and staged pathway to commercialization/adoption.
• Collaborative Technical Ideation (60 minutes): Pinpoint autonomy scenarios where advances in scene understanding, agentic reasoning, mobility, and manipulation will lead to significant breakthroughs. We will brainstorm concrete, technically feasible robotic prototype concepts for real-world impact, and explore their potential pathways from research to market.
• Strengthening the NFRF-T Team (15 minutes): Identify potential partners to fill proposal gaps (ECRs, EDI, policy) and industry partners to bolster commercialization.

This session will directly contribute to the NFRF-T proposal by producing:

• Prioritized Technical Application Scenarios with Commercial Potential: An inventory of high-potential robotic ideas, including technical approaches, required breakthroughs, and early insights into commercial viability.
• Direct Input for Proposal's Technical & Impact Sections: Concrete insights for the NFRF-T's technical, impact, and commercialization arguments.

Identification of Key Partners for Comprehensive Impact: Potential collaborators who can enhance the NFRF-T proposal in terms of Early Career Researchers (ECRs), Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), policy perspectives, and strong industry partners to maximize commercialization and adoption potential.

Roundtable hosts: Bart Fudala and Jason Wong

Canada's construction industry faces urgent challenges, including a housing crisis and persistent productivity declines. While robotics and AI offer a clear path to a more efficient and productive future, their adoption remains largely in the pilot stage in the construction sector. What would it take to turn promising demonstrations into repeatable results?

The session will build directly on insights from the Edmonton AI x CE (Artificial Intelligence and Construction/Engineering) Strategy, which highlighted the value of a private-sector-led innovation ecosystem. It will also build on the recently published Roadmap to Transform the Canadian Construction Industry and the Canadian Construction Automation and Robotics Roadmap, which collectively call for greater collaboration, standardized frameworks, and targeted R&D to drive the adoption of new technology in Canada’s IC sector. 

We will create a collaborative space for robotics and automation firms, construction and demolition companies, researchers and leaders real estate, infrastructure, economic development and housing to reflect on early lessons and shape the path forward. Our goal is to build a shared understanding of the barriers and enablers to robotics and automation adoption in IC, while fostering actionable ideas for pilots and partnerships, and support future collaborations, including project teams applying to the NRC’s Construction Sector Digitalization and Productivity Challenge (CDSP) Program or Ontario’s Trade Impacted Communities Program.

• Discussion 1: Why is construction different? We will explore what makes technology adoption harder or easier in this sector, specifically within the context of Modularization/Pre-fabrication, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and Additive Manufacturing.
• Discussion 2: Can procurement unlock innovation? We will focus on how government and large buyers can support robotics through outcome-based procurement and innovation partnerships, directly addressing the question of how to create the right conditions for adoption across these IC categories.

Key outcomes of this session will include:

• Blueprint for Strategic Procurement: A concise summary of best practices and policy recommendations for using outcome-based procurement to de-risk technology adoption and incentivize collaboration between innovators and industry, with a focus on IC projects.
• Proposal for a National Construction & Robotics Working Group: An initial plan outlining the mandate and key stakeholders for a new CRC working group that will serve as a crucial collaboration hub for joint industry, academic, and government projects. (This will directly address the NRC roadmaps' call for a national consortium and align it with the CRC's existing structure.)
• Refined Proposal Strategy and Partnerships: Direct participant feedback and collaborative ideation will produce a more robust and well-defined strategy for teams preparing proposals. The session will help participants identify and connect with potential collaborators who can strengthen their proposal in terms of technical expertise, market adoption, and policy perspectives, addressing both the proposal strategy and partner identification needs in one focused outcome.

Pre-Reading

• Roadmap to Transform the Canadian Construction Industry (University of New Brunswick, University of Alberta)
• Canadian Construction Automation and Robotics Roadmap (University of Waterloo)
• Unleashing Innovation in Construction & Engineering: Our Next Industrial Cluster (Edmonton Chamber of Commerce)

Roundtable host: Ilija Jovanovic

Mining the Future: Forging an Automation-Ready Workforce Development Strategy for Critical Minerals and Cleantech

Canada has established ambitious national strategies for AI, cleantech, and critical minerals. However, the mining sector—foundational to all three—faces a specialized talent crisis that threatens to stall innovation and jeopardize these objectives. Robotics and automation are the enabling technologies that will allow these national plans to be executed, providing the physical systems—from autonomous drills to remote-controlled haulage—required to modernize the industry. However, the lack of a comprehensive talent pipeline for these roles is a critical bottleneck. This roundtable will focus on designing the human infrastructure essential for bridging the automation gap in Canada's mining sector: a comprehensive, end-to-end talent pipeline.

We invite leaders from mining, cleantech, and robotics to blueprint a program that will directly fuel our national strategies through workforce development, focusing on three stages: 

1. Outreach: creating initiatives like national robotics competitions to steer young innovators toward Canada's AI and Robotics strategies within a mining context;
2. Capture: developing recruitment funnels for the specialists needed to implement our Cleantech agenda and optimize critical mineral extraction; 
3. Commitment: building a framework where industry access to cleantech and critical mineral funding is tied to firm commitments to hire and deploy this new generation of experts.

The goal is to forge an actionable plan that provides the Canadian mining sector with the human capital it needs to innovate and lead. Expected outcomes include:

• A Foundational Blueprint for a National Talent Pipeline: A high-level, three-stage framework for Outreach, Capture, and Commitment that will serve as the conceptual basis for a future program blueprint.
• Consensus on Program Champions: A list of potential partners and a shared understanding of the types of organizations (e.g., industry associations, educational institutions, government bodies) needed to champion each stage of the pipeline.

Prioritized Actionable Recommendations: A short list of high-impact recommendations and the key themes that will inform the development of future policy.

Roundtable host: Sharif Virani

Canada’s first municipally sanctioned sidewalk robot delivery pilot wasn’t just a pilot…it was our moment in robotics. In just 90 days, a small dedicated team of 5 Canadian roboticists working with SKIP, Kiwibot, Real Life Robotics, and the City of Markham delivered a commercially viable, publicly embraced autonomous food delivery service.

Real businesses delivered. Real customers ordered. Real revenue generated. 

This roundtable explores how we move from pilots to platforms by doing what innovators do best: walking and chewing gum at the same time. We’ll unpack what it means to commercialize robotics in Canada while still building with intention, fostering public trust, and aligning with policy.

We’ll explore how robotics companies can use Canada’s world-class R&D ecosystem as a launchpad, while partnering globally to scale commercialization. And we’ll look at how sticky, customer-focused North Star metrics…not vanity metrics...can be used to align cities, customers, and technology service providers around what actually works: automation that saves money, drives adoption, and improves the lives of our friends, families, and neighbors here in Canada.

What We'll Cover

• Canada’s Robotics Moment: What the Markham pilot taught us about timing, traction, and teaming up
   
• North Star Metrics: Why unit economics, stickiness, and repeat usage matter more than tech demos
   
• Rolling Up Your Sleeves: Why robotics leaders need to understand how their partners make money—and help them do it
   
• Automation as Deflation: In an era of rising costs, how robotics can be a force for affordability
   
• Built in Canada, Commercialized Globally: Tapping into Canada’s R&D ecosystem while scaling with international partners

Tangible Outcomes

• A working framework for selecting and launching commercially viable pilots
   
• A shared definition of “success” that includes revenue, retention, and public value
   

• • A collaboration plan across municipalities, startups, and service providers to scale civic robotics nationwide

Roundtable host: Michael Bidu

British Columbia's unique economic landscape offers a distinct opportunity for robotics innovation, but it also presents specific challenges. Our strengths lie in natural resources, a robust maritime sector, and a dynamic clean tech sector. These sectors—including marine, forestry, mining, and agriculture —are ripe for robotics, automation and AI, but face a skills and knowledge gap, talent shortage, a lack of capital, and fragmented regulation. This roundtable will design a targeted Public-Private Partnership (PPP) that directly leverages BC’s unique assets to solve its most urgent productivity problems.

BC’s diverse economy sees a great opportunity in the adoption of robotics solutions in manufacturing, construction, warehousing, oceantech, logistics and the services sector, with major exports including lumber, paper, metals and coal. 

We invite leaders from industry, academia, government, and investment to collaboratively design a targeted PPP (Public Private Partnership) that will accelerate the adoption of robotics, automation, drones and AI to innovate BC's core industries.

Agenda

1. BC's Robotics Cluster (30 minutes)

• The "Smart Resources" Strategy: We'll explore how BC's core industries—forestry (pulp and paper), forestry, marine, and agriculture—can become a global market for robotics innovation and commercialization. We'll discuss applications like robot arms, AMRs, autonomous drones for fire monitoring, robotic systems for precision agriculture, and autonomous systems for open waters and ports.
• Case Studies: 
• Pulp and Paper Mills Need Automation: The urgent need to respond to safety standards, productivity and efficiency from global competition.
• Forestry & Wildfire Management: The use of autonomous drones and robotic systems for wildfire monitoring and precision logging can lower the risk, reduce costs and increase safety.
• Agriculture: The role of automated harvesting robots (e.g., in mushroom farming) and AI-driven systems for crop management. We will reference companies like 4AG Robotics and their success in addressing a critical labor shortage with automated picking robots.
• Marine: The role of autonomous systems in port and open water applications. 

2. Designing a targeted PPP Framework (45 minutes)

• Talent & R&D: Brainstorm how to build a dedicated talent pipeline to support these specific industries. This could involve creating specialized curricula and linking them directly to the needs of the natural resource sectors.
• Capital & Procurement: We'll address the "scale-up" problem by exploring how government procurement can act as a crucial early-stage customer for BC robotics firms, helping them secure contracts and attract investment.
• National Collaboration: We will define a focused role for BC as the "Natural Resource Robotics Hub" within a national network. We will specifically explore collaboration with other provinces and robotics clusters, to solve shared challenges like labor shortages, productivity, and safety in remote work.

3. Action Plan (15 minutes)

• Identify a small, dedicated working group to draft the foundational PPP document.
• Outline a plan to secure initial "expressions of interest" for a BC robotics cluster from key partners by the end of 2025.

Expected Outcomes

• BC's Robotics Cluster: A clear narrative for BC as a global leader in "Smart Resource Robotics."
• A PPP Blueprint: A concrete framework for a provincial PPP that addresses talent, capital, and procurement.
• A "Made-in-BC" Talent Strategy: A design for a training and R&D initiative to build a sustainable skilled workforce for BC’s unique industries.

Roundtable host: Shalaleh Rismani

This roundtable builds directly on our work at the 2024 CRC Symposium, exploring responsible integration of robotics in the workplace, which emphasized the critical need for early worker engagement and cross-sector collaboration in robotics adoption. In this follow-up, we invite participants to help refine a draft toolkit for ethically integrating robotics into the workplace, specifically by centring the role, agency, and well-being of the workforce.

The toolkit is based on Foresight into AI Ethics (FAIE), a structured methodology developed by the Open Roboethics Institute to guide ethical decision-making in AI development. Originally designed for non-embodied AI systems, the toolkit is now being adapted to address the distinct challenges posed by robotics, particularly their embeddedness in physical environments and direct impact on human labour. This session is for anyone invested in the responsible adoption of robotics in the workplace, including workers, labor representatives, HR professionals, robotics developers and integrators, business leaders, policymakers, ethicists, and researchers.

• Toolkit Overview (10-15 minutes)
  • We will introduce the FAIE toolkit and explain our motivation for adapting it to robotics, emphasizing the unique ethical considerations of embodied AI.
• Interactive Co-Creation (60 minutes)
  • Participants will critique and expand on the existing toolkit through discussions of real or imagined workplace scenarios involving robotics integration. We'll explore practical applications and identify areas for improvement. Key questions will include:
• Why do workers need to be involved in the design, integration, and adoption of robotics?
• What forms of worker engagement are appropriate at different stages of robotics adoption, and how should they be structured?
• What safeguards can ensure robotics enhances, rather than undermines, job quality, safety, and career progression?
• Synthesis & Next Steps (15 minutes)
  • We will collaboratively synthesize ideas, surface key case examples, and identify interest in continuing this work through a dedicated working group or as an open resource.

Session outcomes will include:

• Refined Draft Toolkit: Direct participant feedback will lead to a more robust, practical, and worker-centric version of the FAIE toolkit for robotics integration.
• Documented Workplace Scenarios & Solutions: We will capture specific real or hypothetical workplace scenarios, along with co-created solutions and ethical considerations relevant to robotics adoption.

Foundation for Future Collaboration: The session will identify individuals and groups interested in continuing this important work, fostering ongoing development and dissemination of ethical robotics integration practices.

Roundtable host: Pierre Larouche

With AI surging in this decade, efforts are made around the world to organize AI governance. The European Union enacted the AI Act, and other jurisdictions are acting to steer AI development in line with public policy aims. In Canada, Bill C-27 died with the 2025 election, but the new federal government is bound to return to AI governance soon.

By all accounts, AI governance will affect the robotics industry, since measures rest on a broad AI definition that encompasses AI embodied in robots. Yet there is a disconnect: on the one hand, the robotics industry appears not to engage with AI governance, while on the other hand, AI governance measures seem to be designed for software-implemented AI. This roundtable is for everyone following regulation and policy in the AI and robotics sectors, including robotics manufacturers, developers, integrators, policymakers, legal professionals, and researchers.

Presentation – Navigating the AI Governance Landscape (30 minutes)

• An overview of current global AI governance debates, including key aspects of the EU AI Act and anticipated Canadian regulations.
• A focused analysis of how these evolving regulatory frameworks are poised to affect the robotics industry, particularly concerning the broad definition of AI that includes embodied AI systems.

Open Discussion & Workshop Insights (60 minutes)

• Presentation of key findings and results from a recent industry workshop on AI governance and embodied AI (held in August 2025).
• Ample time for a facilitated discussion where participants can react to the workshop results, share their perspectives, and raise critical questions.

Key outcomes from this session will include:

• Actionable Insights for Robotics Stakeholders: Attendees will gain a clear understanding of specific regulatory trends and compliance obligations directly impacting the design, development, and deployment of robotic systems. 
• Identified Gaps and Opportunities for Policy Input: We will pinpoint areas where current AI governance frameworks don't adequately address the unique challenges or opportunities of embodied AI, fostering a shared understanding of where the robotics industry needs to contribute its expertise to policy development.
• Strengthened Industry-Policy Dialogue: Our ultimate goal is to build a foundation for ongoing collaboration to shape effective and innovation-supportive AI governance for robotics.

This roundtable is linked to a research project entitled “Filling the governance gaps in embodied AI”, led by Profs. AJung Moon (McGill University) and Pierre Larouche (Université de Montréal), with Dr. Keri Grieman and Ms. Leah Davis. The research benefits from the support of IVADO and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

Roundtable host: Ioan Buzdugan

This roundtable aims to foster a critical discussion on safely implementing human-robot collaboration, specifically addressing how to apply the latest ISO standards to achieve this. We will explore common misconceptions that lead to unsafe applications and collectively identify implementation challenges. Our goal is to understand how current standards either support or hinder the wider adoption of collaborative applications.

This session is designed for manufacturers, integrators, and end-users with experience or a keen interest in implementing collaborative robot applications.

We will begin with a guided presentation followed by an interactive open discussion:

• Presentation & Q&A (60 minutes)
  • Topic 1: Overview of Key Industry Standards and Recent Changes: We will review the latest technical revisions to ISO 10218-1/2, particularly the crucial shift from "collaborative robots" to "collaborative tasks and applications." Understanding these changes is vital for correct implementation.
  • Topic 2: Critical Safety Considerations and Common Misconceptions: We will address the dangerous misconception that 'collaborative robots' are inherently safe and require minimal or no safeguarding. We will highlight how this leads to inadequate risk reduction measures and puts workers at risk, emphasizing important safety considerations for both end-users and integrators.
     
• 30 minutes: Open Discussion
  • Question 1: Current Challenges: What specific challenges do integrators and users currently encounter when implementing safe collaborative applications?
  • Question 2: Evolving Standards: What changes or additions are needed in industry standards to further support the safe and widespread implementation of collaborative applications?

Our ultimate aim is to enhance understanding and encourage greater participation in robot industry safety standards. By the end of this session, we intend to:

1. Develop a set of high-level questions that end-users can effectively ask robot integrators when implementing collaborative applications in their facilities.
2. Provide a practical tool to help ensure that appropriate risk reduction measures are consistently implemented, thereby reducing technical barriers to the adoption of collaborative applications.

Roundtable hosts: Connor Holmes, Adam Heins, and Sven Lilge

Canada faces a critical window of opportunity to define its economic future through leadership in robotics and AI. From the Canadarm to deep neural networks, AI-robotics excellence is deeply embedded in Canada's history and is a defining characteristic as a nation. However, a prevailing perception among Canadians is that the country's advanced technologies sector is either overshadowed by larger global players or out of touch with everyday realities. Reshaping this narrative is crucial, as broad public understanding and support are vital for fostering the policy changes and investment necessary for a robust, tech-driven economy.

Building a confident national identity around advanced technologies—one that effectively attracts business investment and talent—requires a collaborative effort. The insights of training institutions and economic development agencies are essential, as their expertise in leveraging place-based branding to drive economic growth and attract top talent is invaluable. Canadian robotics and AI experts, with their strong international networks, are uniquely positioned to illuminate the compelling stories and potential for a technology-enabled future, providing unique content to empower broader national awareness. This collaboration can create a powerful blueprint and storybook that showcases Canada as an advanced tech-faring nation, inspiring Canadians and attracting global partners. 

Our session will begin with a brief overview of robotics and AI in Canada (10 mins). The core discussion will examine specific case studies where other regions have successfully reshaped their self-image around robotics and AI through strategic public engagement (50 mins). We will then review how these strategies can be adapted to elevate Canada's national identity as a robotics and AI leader, enhancing its overall appeal for economic development, investment, and talent attraction across critical sectors, (e.g. mining, forestry, space, manufacturing), reflecting the country’s unique economic challenges and opportunities (30 mins).

Our goal is to co-create the foundations for a strong national narrative in AI-robotics. Key outcomes of this session include: 

• Identified Communication Gaps: A concise summary of challenges hindering public understanding and perception of Canada's robotics and AI innovation.
• Blueprint for Engagement: Initial strategic directions, stakeholders and actionable concepts for both grassroots and national approaches that empower partners (tourism, economic development, talent development) at a variety of scales to leverage Canada's AI-robotics strengths for investment, talent, and homegrown adoption.
• Narrative Building Blocks:  Core messages, compelling stories, and historical touchpoints from Canada's AI-robotics landscape to seed future campaigns.

Partner & Funding Pathways: Identification of potential key partners and preliminary funding considerations to sustain national awareness efforts.

Roundtable hosts: Philippe Beaulieu, Jim Beretta, and Yi Li

Are your most successful robotics deployments your best-kept secrets? This workshop will show you how to turn them into powerful growth tools. The Canadian Robotics ROI Library is a new, strategic initiative currently being developed to address a critical barrier to robotics adoption for Canadian SMEs: the lack of accessible, credible information on the real-world return on investment (ROI). Funded through a partnership with NGen's Cluster Accelerator Program, this project aims to create a publicly available, searchable repository of vetted success stories. By clearly demonstrating the measurable business impact—the "proof of returns"—of robotics, we aim to de-risk robotics investments and stimulate broader adoption across the country.

To build a powerful and impactful resource, we need high-quality content. This roundtable is an exclusive opportunity for companies to learn how to transform their customer deployments into compelling ROI-focused case studies. Designed for both seasoned integrators and new entrants, your participation will be invaluable to this project. This hands-on workshop will provide the practical skills and strategic insights needed to develop standout case studies for the library. Our goal is to equip you with the tools to contribute high-quality content, supporting your own business development while strengthening the entire Canadian robotics ecosystem. 

What You Will Learn

• Anatomy of a Great Case Study: We'll deconstruct successful case studies to identify the core elements that resonate with customers, including SMEs. From crafting a compelling narrative to showcasing clear "before and after" scenarios, you'll learn how to tell a story that goes beyond technical specifications.
• The Full Spectrum of ROI: Go beyond simple cost savings. We will explore and provide frameworks for capturing a wide range of return on investment, including quantifiable ROI (productivity gains, increased uptime) and qualitative ROI (improved employee morale, enhanced worker safety).
• Convincing Customers to Share Their Story: Customer buy-in is the foundation of any credible case study. We will share proven strategies for approaching and convincing customers to participate, including framing the request with mutual benefit, addressing concerns about confidentiality, and making the process as simple as possible for your client.
• Building Case Studies into Your Workflow: We'll explore how to integrate content gathering for case studies directly into your project deployment plans. By capturing key data, testimonials, and media at every stage, you can create a dual-purpose resource that serves both as valuable in-house knowledge and powerful customer-facing marketing material.
• Case Study Toolkit: Receive a set of practical resources, including a structured template and a list of key questions to ask during a customer interview to uncover the most compelling details and data points.

Outcomes of this Session Include

• A Case Study Blueprint: You will leave with a clear plan for your next case study, including a narrative structure, key metrics to track, and a strategy for engaging with your customer.
• Enhanced Storytelling Skills: Develop a deeper understanding of how to communicate the value of your robotics solutions in a way that is credible, relatable, and inspiring to potential new clients.

A Direct Pathway to the Canadian Robotics ROI Library: Connect with the Canadian Robotics Council team and understand how to prepare and submit quality case studies for this new national repository.