Montreal Metropolitan Airport announces Living Lab for Innovation in Aerospace

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Montreal Metropolitan Airport announces Living Lab for Innovation in Aerospace

Research

Brandon Williamson Vice President Market Leader of Infrastructure/Aviation Group | AviationPros

By Sky Industry News

Jul 23, 2024

Montreal Metropolitan Airport (MET) has announced the creation of the Living Lab for Innovation in Aerospace (LIA). This initiative aligns with MET's commitment to reinventing the airport model and advancing aerospace technologies and environmental sustainability.

"The MET project is much more than the construction of a new passenger terminal; it is also the ambition to actively contribute to the development of aerospace technologies and the green transition of our industry. With the LIA, we aim to offer the airport as a research platform to the entire innovation ecosystem. This commitment to integrating research and experimentation into our daily airport operations is one of our core pillars of engagement," stated Yanic Roy, President and CEO of MET – Montreal Metropolitan Airport.

Beginning with its first flights in 2025, MET aims to become one of Canada's most significant airports, providing an extensive interdisciplinary study ground for academic research and technological development. The term "Living Lab" refers to a real-life environment available for research where participants are contributors rather than mere subjects. Although there is no direct French translation, these labs are known as open innovation research laboratories. The LIA will focus on three main missions:

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1. Provide access to a unique study environment, including infrastructure, facilities, and workforce, enabling projects in a real-world setting.

2. Facilitate project execution by involving experts and teams, fostering partnerships, and offering project support.

3. Create and sustain a multidisciplinary community composed of international experts to share knowledge and promote innovation within the airport environment.

Mehran Ebrahimi will spearhead LIA's activities with support from Canadian and international experts forming advisory and scientific committees. Key collaborators include Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux (INP), French Association for Artificial Intelligence (AFIA), Bombardier, Aerospace Technology Center (CTA), École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), Aéro Montréal, University of Sherbrooke (UdeS), International Expertise Center of Montreal in Artificial Intelligence (CEIMIA), Quebec Aerospace Research and Innovation Consortium (CRIAQ), University of Montréal (UdeM) and Air France-KLM.

"To address the colossal challenges of the aviation and aerospace sector, we must transcend past paradigms. It is in this spirit that we envision the airport as the nerve center for mobilizing and articulating academic, industrial, and civil society knowledge and expertise. A true crossroads where ideas and knowledge circulate as freely as airplanes and passengers. The LIA – Living Lab for Innovation in Aerospace will position itself as a major player in this innovative vision, where research, innovation, and collaboration will combine to shape the future of aeronautics," said Ebrahimi.