Skip to main content

Canada’s ITS sector looks to boost exports

A mission to Hong Kong and Shenzhen in China marks the start of a series of export visits planned within ITS Canada’s new International Business Development (IBD) strategy, the only one open to all members, including SMEs, across the country’s transportation industry.
December 11, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Association chair Chris Philp.
A mission to Hong Kong and Shenzhen in China marks the start of a series of export visits planned within 74 ITS Canada’s new International Business Development (IBD) strategy, the only one open to all members, including SMEs, across the country’s transportation industry.


The association is receiving funding from Global Affairs Canada, which promotes SMEs abroad, to cover up to half of members’ travel costs.

Association chair Chris Philp told ITS International: “Many of our members must market abroad to remain sustainable.” He anticipates a “significant increase” in numbers of Canadian software firms making transportation-related apps for mobile devices and in-vehicle applications.

Since these companies typically don’t market their products along geographic lines, but sell through channels such as app stores, automotive OEMs and public transportation agencies, the association aims to strengthen links with global supply chains in target areas.

It is emphasising sustainable elements in ITS technologies that are important for rapidly developing economies with congestion and environmental issues. There will also be a continued drive into the US, the Canadian industry’s largest single market.

In the reverse direction, 8082 ITS France and national economic development agency Business France staged a May 2017 briefing in Paris on ITS opportunities in Canada.

This highlighted the country’s 2015 legislation enabling a national ITS architecture which is designed to ensure full compatibility of ITS products and services in integrated systems.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • AV/ridesharing mix wins major auto investment
    May 5, 2016
    The US has a new trend in personal mobility and David Crawford takes a closer look. US automaker General Motors and ridesharer Lyft’s announcement of a strategic partnership aimed at delivering, over time, an integrated network of on-demand autonomous as well as conventional vehicles has taken the nation’s car industry from traditional manufacturing to new arenas.
  • Rise of smart cities spawns market for smart vehicle technology in the US
    November 15, 2013
    According to recent research by Frost & Sullivan, there is a palpable reorientation of purchasing habits among American citizens as the country continues its march toward urbanism. In the future, 85 percent of the country’s population is anticipated to live in urban areas, while North America could see the emergence of three mega cities, eleven mega regions, and seven smart cities by 2025. One of the biggest gainers of this massive-scale urbanisation is the automotive industry, particularly autonomous drivi
  • West Midlands pilots the UK’s first MaaS
    November 14, 2017
    Mobility-as-a-Service is being piloted in the UK’s second largest metropolitan area and will shortly be opened to the travelling public. A fully operational Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) offering is being piloted in the West Midlands region of the UK. Covering seven local authorities which make up the West Midlands metropolitan area and population of 2.8 million, the service is being provided through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), Finnish company MaaS Global
  • What actually happens if we do #FreetheMIBs?
    May 1, 2020
    Q-Free’s #FREEtheMIBs campaign highlights the use of manufacturer-specific data output, storage and communication protocols in traffic lights and ITS systems.