Too many hours have been lost by travellers waiting in line for their luggage, or worse, trying to locate their bags when they go missing en route. By combining AI and robotics, Concordia student-led startup Bagbotics is hoping to modernize how airports and airlines handle baggage.
Led by co-founder Sufiyan Master, a second-year BComm (International Business) student at Concordia's John Molson School of Business, the fledgling company recently won the Next-Gen Sustainability Award at the International Aerospace Innovation Forum (IAIF). The annual event showcases technological advances in the industry and brings together major players such as Éspace Aero, the new Quebec aerospace innovation zone in which Concordia is a key partner.
"Airports and airlines are moving millions of bags per year and tonnes of cargo per day. Workers are often stuck in the bag room, loading and unloading baggage. This is the most labour-intensive task, and a critical one, but there are big bottlenecks," Master explains.
A former pilot, and an airline operations manager at the Aéroport de Montréal, Master was inspired to create Bagbotics by witnessing the physical strain and mental toll baggage handling can take on workers.
The company uses a cobot a collaborative robot designed to work alongside humans to handle the heavy lifting, while AI software identifies and directs bags to their proper destinations. The technology is designed to integrate with existing airport systems and is compliant with international aviation standards and security regulations.
Automated baggage handling is not necessarily a new idea, Master says, but it's one that has yet to be implemented on a large scale.
"The goal is to move early, accelerate the path from pilot to market adoption and position Quebec as the launchpad for exporting this technology to airports around the world," he says.
Co-founder Sufiyan Master: "I wouldn't be able to do this without such extraordinary people."
Connected with Concordia talent
Master attended flight school and worked in the industry for four years before deciding to pursue his studies at Concordia.
"To me, attending the John Molson School is about the pursuit of knowledge and excellence. Applying what I can gather here adds value for my customers, clients and end users. It's also given me guidance and mentorship from professors I keep them in the loop with what I'm doing. That's been really important to me, and I value that a lot."
Master says his Bachelor of Commerce professors have helped shape his company's approach. In a class with Philippe Colas, a marketing lecturer, he was encouraged to consider sustainability from the outset.
"How do we make the world a more sustainable place? We can generate revenue, sure, but at what cost?" Master says.
Apart from his teachers, Master is grateful for the people he has connected with at the university including his co-founders, Luqman Aungnoo, BCompSc 21, and Ahmad Saad, BEng, 26, both graduates of the Gina Cody School of Computer Science and Engineering.
"I wouldn't be able to do this without such extraordinary people," he says.
Reaching for the sky
The company is already attracting attention beyond its IAIF win. Master is in conversation with industry partners, and the team is seeking opportunities to collaborate with investors, airports and additional aerospace stakeholders as they work to bring Bagbotics to market.
The group has also been invited to apply to join Concordia's innovation hub, District 3. Master says he hopes this experience will reinforce the project's research and technical foundations, as well as connect him with the broader Montreal venture startup ecosystem.
With the university's strong industry ties, he says Bagbotics is in an ideal position.
"As a Concordia-born venture operating within Quebec's aerospace ecosystem, Bagbotics is building from a strong foundation," Master says.
"The connection to Aéro Montréal, Espace Aéro and the broader innovation network gives startups like ours a meaningful platform to move from academic and entrepreneurial ambition toward real industry adoption. We are proud to carry the Concordia name as we work to help modernize airport ground operations," he adds.
"It's super important to us to build at home and highlight Quebec on the global stage."
