Alstom has partnered with Université Laval, UQAM and ÉTS on a research programme exploring artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0 technologies, aimed at improving manufacturing operations at its La Pocatière site in Quebec.
Alstom has announced a research partnership with Université Laval, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) to advance Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Industry 4.0 technologies in rail design and manufacturing in Canada.
Professor Michael Morin of Université Laval’s Lab-Usine will serve as principal investigator, with the research team drawn from three Quebec universities that are members of the SDG Innovation Network. The universities will also receive financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and MITACS.
Research to focus on welding, robotics and railcar-body design
The partnership is centred on productivity, exploring digital technologies designed to improve the quality, efficiency and performance of manufacturing operations. Research activities will focus on welding procedures, augmented reality support for welders and assemblers, scheduling of robotic welding cells, and the use of artificial intelligence in railcar-body design.
Alstom said the objective is to better leverage factory-floor data, support expert teams in their daily activities, and develop intelligent solutions deployable in real industrial environments. Technologies developed through the programme will be tested at Alstom’s La Pocatière facility in Quebec and could contribute to major manufacturing projects recently awarded to the company, including contracts with VIA Rail, the Toronto Transit Commission and the Quebec City Tramway project.
Eric Rondeau, Innovation Director for Alstom Canada, said: “In the era of the fourth industrial revolution, partnerships between academia and industry are powerful accelerators of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. By combining cutting-edge research, emerging talent and our operational needs, this enhanced collaboration with the SDG Innovation Network will help us master smarter manufacturing processes, optimise our production lines, and transform data into tangible benefits for our industry and customers. These methods and solutions can also be adapted and deployed across other Alstom sites worldwide.”
Jonathan Gaudreault, Director of Université Laval’s Lab-Usine, said: “Our collaboration with Alstom and the La Pocatière facility dates back to 2019. This new milestone confirms the value and reach of a partnership that continues to generate tangible benefits for the company, Lab-Usine and the SDG Innovation Network.”
The project brings together the expertise of Université Laval’s Lab-Usine, UQAM’s Internet of Things Laboratory and ÉTS’s Advanced Manufacturing Process Optimisation Laboratory, and will help train 11 highly qualified personnel, including graduate students, undergraduate interns and postdoctoral researchers, in an applied research environment connected to industrial operations.
Alstom said the project’s outcomes are expected to improve production processes and strengthen its manufacturing capabilities in Canada, with the knowledge generated also expected to benefit other Canadian industries reliant on complex metal structures.
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