Collaboration with industry partners makes the SHIELD Automotive Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence Canada's premier research centre dedicated to advancing and developing automotive cybersecurity solutions.
Professor Mitra Mirhassani directs testing of an electric vehicle in an engineering lab.
In collaboration with the Windsor-Essex Regional Technology Development Site of Invest WindsorEssex through investments made by the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN), SHIELD offers a unique service to small and medium-sized enterprises and startups across Ontario: businesses working on automotive products have access to cybersecurity testing and research and development resources typically available only to large corporations and research institutes.
This program is designed to help companies evaluate the security of their products and develop innovative solutions with a focus on ensuring that they can launch securely and meet rigorous European and North American market standards.
The service is made possible by the investment of Keysight Technologies, which has equipped SHIELD with a state-of-the-art platform to test automotive cybersecurity. With this cutting-edge technology, the centre can provide detailed assessments to ensure products meet the highest standards.
Tom Schnekenburger, UWindsor director of innovation, partnerships and entrepreneurship, says the collaboration between Invest Windsor Essex's Automobility and Innovation Centre and SHIELD is a key example of the strength of Windsor-Essex's automobility ecosystem.
"Leveraging the strengths of our core partners to provide businesses and mobility providers access to cutting-edge technologies and services will support their global economic competitiveness and sustain the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem of our region," he says.
Raed Kadri, head of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network, says it is proud to support this critical work.
"By providing small and medium enterprises and startups with access to state-of-the-art resources through OVIN, the Government of Ontario is empowering Ontario-based companies to innovate confidently and meet global standards," he says. "This collaboration showcases how partnerships can drive impactful change, strengthening Ontario's position as a leader in the future of mobility."
Automotive cybersecurity is a collaborative effort that requires investment to help Canadian manufacturing reman competitive, says Mitra Mirhassani, founding member of SHIELD and a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
"The OVIN investment and collaboration with the Invest WindsorEssex have enabled the centre to not only provide services free of charge for Ontario autotech companies, but also train and educate cybersecurity experts," Dr. Mirhassani says.
These partnerships position the region as a leader in supporting Ontario enterprises, says Ed Dawson, executive director of the Automobility and Innovation Centre at Invest WindsorEssex.
"We are proud to partner with SHIELD in driving automotive innovation with our region's exclusive Centre of Excellence for Automotive Cybersecurity the only one of its kind within the OVIN network," he says. "We empower companies to test, enhance, and validate their critical vehicle technologies with confidence.
"Moving forward, we aim to deepen these partnerships and expand our offerings. Together, we're reinforcing Windsor-Essex's status as Canada's automobility capital and a global leader in automotive innovation."
