- Awards and Distinctions
Excellence of two INRS-trained companies showcased at 34th ADRIQ gala.
From left to right : Frédéric Alberro, ADRIQ CEO | Louise Poissant, Vice President Research and Scientific Director, Society and Culture Sector, Fonds de recherche du Québec | Award winners Hachem Agili (Geosapiens) and Karem Chokmani (INRS) | Christine Martens, Vice President Research Partnership, Axelys
Professor Karem Chokmani and the engineer trained with his group, Hachem Agili, have just been honoured by the Association pour le développement de la recherche et de l’innovation du Québec (ADRIQ). The Geosapiens company they cofounded received the Innovation issue de la recherche publique (IIRP) award at the ADRIQ’s annual Innovation Awards Gala at the Montréal Convention Centre on November 21, 2024. The award recognizes innovations stemming from public research.
Ki3 Photonics Technologies, a startup created by former students of Professor Roberto Morandotti, also made a splash at the event. In addition to being a finalist in the IIRP category, it was named one of the seven “coups de cœur” (top picks) of Quebec’s Chief Innovation Officer.
ADRIQ’s mission is to support and promote research and innovation in Quebec, with a view to helping businesses become more competitive both at home and abroad. Its annual gala brings together numerous decision makers and guests from Quebec’s technology sphere. Once again this year, the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) was a Bronze partner in the event’s celebration of excellence.
“We are very proud of the teams nominated for the 2024 Gala, whose excellence and creativity bear testimony to the key role that research and innovation play in Quebec’s economic and social development. This award illustrates the importance of building bridges between academia and business to promote the competitiveness of Quebec industry and a sustainable, prosperous future.”
Isabelle Delisle, Scientific Director of INRS.
Flood forecasting and management
The annual IIRP award is presented jointly to companies and public research establishments involved in a technology partnership project. In transferring expertise from the research establishment to the company, the project must lead to the development of a new technological product, process, or service. This product, process, or service, resulting from intellectual property developed by the researchers and brought to fruition by the establishment for the benefit of the company, must have had a resolutely positive impact, particularly in terms of technological progress and productivity growth.
This year’s ADRIQ IIRP award goes to the E-NUNDATION platform, a revolutionary tool for proactive flood management. Marketed by Geosapiens, this modelling software is based on several years of research by Professor Karem Chokmani of INRS’s Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre.
E-NUNDATION is a web-based solution that uses modelling to provide real-time mapping of flood risks. It also accurately assesses the anticipated consequences for populations, buildings, and essential infrastructure, and enables estimated damage to be quantified. The accuracy of its mapping information allows forecasts to be made up to three days in advance. What’s more, the platform centralizes data, providing major savings in terms of time and efficiency. These benefits make E-NUNDATION an essential decision-making ally for municipalities, cities, and all managers who need to deal with this type of natural disaster.
Geosapiens is increasingly positioning itself as a leader in the development of innovative approaches to flood prevention. It has received funding from several organizations, most recently from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) through its smartEarth initiative. The project is being carried out in partnership with professors Karem Chokmani and Saeid Homayouni of INRS’s Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre.
De gauche à droite : Hachem Agili, Piotr Roztocki, Karem Chokmani et Yoann Jestin.
A leader in the telecommunications of tomorrow
Given the quality of the entries received for the 2024 ADRIQ Innovation Awards, the selection committee chose seven in total to qualify as finalists for the Chief Innovation Officer’s “coup de cœur” award. They stood out from the rest because they were considered exemplary organizations, leaders in terms of innovation culture, and committed leaders whose knowledge and practices are leading the way for Quebec’s future.
Ki3 Photonics Technologies was one of the jury’s picks. Since it was formed in 2015, this startup cofounded by Piotr Roztocki and Yoann Jestin, former students of Roberto Morandotti at INRS’s Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre, has had success after success, leaving no doubt about its growth potential.
Ki3 Photonics Technologies specializes in developing the telecommunications of the future. More specifically, it has developed a system based on the generation and manipulation of quantum photonic signals compatible with fibre-optic communication networks. This unique, compact system has the advantage of being easy to implement in the telecommunications networks currently used for Internet transit. It paves the way for much faster information processing and ultra-secure data transfer in existing networks.
Ki3 Photonics Technologies continues to work closely with Roberto Morandotti’s laboratory.
Congratulations to these members of the INRS community on their recognition!
