We did a lot of work, with respect to our collaborators in Canada, on understanding better the attributes of the SBIR program in the United States. We put forward a series of recommendations that certainly encourage the concept of thresholds, with proper terms and conditions that create new avenues for accessibility and encourage risk-taking within the Government of Canada and other governments...not to simply have the opportunity to demonstrate new technologies or products that are founded by women, but to encourage that pathway to actual procurement.
One of the best ways we see this work is at one of our sites, Area X.O. It's hosted by Invest Ottawa, supported by all three levels of government and five multinationals, and leveraged by dozens of start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs. We actually bring Transport Canada together with small to medium-sized companies, start-ups and scale-ups, including women in tech. We do pilot tests of different technologies that advance their commercialization, getting them closer to market with feedback from our regulator in this country, so that they are not only getting exposure and a first customer but also the opportunity to take in all kinds of insights from those partners and potential customers on that project. It is collaborative in serving a particular challenge or doing a particular task or performance, together with the Government of Canada, that's required for a certain type of implementation—keeping city streets and vulnerable road users safe while things like connected and autonomous vehicles, low-speed automated shuttles, drones and other technologies are implemented in novel ways.
Encouraging that opportunity to create greater pathways as an emergence and an outcome from those projects would be very helpful. Creating thresholds similar to what they have in SBIR in the United States is something we are certainly recommending. We put forth a paper on it and are meeting with ISED on it next week. We would be very delighted to share that with you. It encompasses a carve-out for women and marginalized founders to encourage breaking down barriers and to create more opportunity for those who would not otherwise have that potential.