Mercedes-Benz expands open innovation activities in Canada alongside research in neuromorphic computing.

The OVIN Incubators Program will focus on identifying and fostering innovation in future software & AI, future vehicle components and future electric drive. Working with startups, and in partnership with OVIN, Mercedes-Benz will help progress promising projects through the provision of its specialist expertise and use cases. Selected projects will also benefit from the international Mercedes-Benz STARTUP AUTOBAHN network. Separately, the company intends to start a research collaboration with the University of Waterloo, Ontario with a focus on neuromorphic computing for automated driving applications. The move complements a range of ongoing Mercedes-Benz R&D activities in Canada.

The academic research collaboration and participation in the OVIN Incubators Program are the latest in a series of initiatives underpinned by the company’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Canada, signed in 2022. The aim of the MoU is to strengthen cooperation across the electric vehicle value chain. Through the partnership with the Ontario government through OVIN, Mercedes-Benz is accelerating and expanding its presence by tapping into Ontario’s international acclaim as a centre for tech development, recognizing the province’s significance for Mercedes-Benz’s global innovation network.

Open innovation draws in ideas, inspiration and technologies from a wide variety of external sources and partners. This approach is a long-established part of Mercedes-Benz R&D strategy, enriching and complementing the company’s internal R&D work worldwide.

In its pilot phase, the OVIN Incubators Program will conduct startup scouting to identify opportunities in Ontario relevant to Mercedes-Benz fields of research. The aim is to empower startups to engage with industry and establish a robust pipeline of companies whose growth can be catalysed. Together, OVIN and Mercedes-Benz will narrow down an initial longlist through a process of evaluation, ultimately arriving at individual projects that will progress to proof-of-concept based on Mercedes-Benz use cases. The OVIN Incubators join a growing international network of regional programmes benefitting from the Mercedes-Benz STARTUP AUTOBAHN platform for open innovation. This globally networked and locally executed approach seeks to maximise the pool of ideas, innovations and technologies that can flow into future Mercedes-Benz products. Looking to the future, the next phase of the OVIN Incubators will seek to expand its scope through the addition of further partners from industry and academia.

Mercedes-Benz and the University of Waterloo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on research led by Prof. Chris Eliasmith in the field of neuromorphic computing. The focus is on the development of algorithms for advanced driving assistance systems. By mimicking the functionality of the human brain, neuromorphic computing could significantly improve AI computation, making it faster and more energy-efficient. While preserving vehicle range, safety systems could, for example, detect traffic signs, lanes and objects much better, even in poor visibility, and react faster. Neuromorphic computing has the potential to reduce the energy required to process data for autonomous driving by 90 percent compared to current systems.

The work with the University of Waterloo complements a series of existing Mercedes-Benz research collaborations on neuromorphic computing. One focus is on neuromorphic end-to-end learning for autonomous driving. To realize the full potential of neuromorphic computing, Mercedes-Benz is building up a network of universities and research partnerships. The company is, for example, consortium leader in the NAOMI4Radar project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. Here, the company is working with partners to assess how neuromorphic computing can be used to optimise the processing of radar data in automated driving systems. In addition, Mercedes-Benz has been cooperating with Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences. This work centres on neuromorphic cameras, also known as event-based cameras.

OVIN is an initiative of the Government of Ontario, led by the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), designed to reinforce Ontario’s position as a North American leader in automotive and mobility technology and solutions such as connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and electric and low-carbon vehicle technologies. Through resources such as research and development (R&D) support, talent and skills development, technology acceleration, business and technical supports, and demonstration grounds, OVIN provides a competitive advantage to Ontario-made automotive and mobility technology companies.