Indro Robotics and Invest Ottawa Join Forces to Advance Rapid Prototyping for SMEs

Sep 18, 2023

OTTAWA, ON – SEPTEMBER 18, 2023: InDro Robotics, the leading Canadian robotics R&D company, and Invest Ottawa, lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries Canada’s Capital, today are pleased to announce a strategic partnership marking an exciting new chapter in the evolution of the Bayview Yards Prototyping Lab. The state-of-the-art facility, previously operated by Invest Ottawa, will be renamed InDro Forge, led and managed by InDro Robotics. Its traditional core function, to help companies and industries at every stage of the prototype journey – from initial product idea through design, fabrication, iteration, validation and production – will be expanded. 

As of September 18, InDro Robotics will lead and manage the facility – with existing staff continuing as part of the growing InDro team. The company’s deep R&D expertise in drones and ground robotics and experienced engineering team at Area X.O will bring added value to InDro Forge, which in turn adds to the overall InDro Robotics portfolio. 

“We look forward to enhancing this already-excellent facility and broadening its capabilities and services,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “This is a great fit for InDro, and we’re truly excited about the possibilities for existing and new clients.” 

In addition to its engineering and R&D expertise, InDro has a long history of both investing in the Ottawa region and collaborating with Invest Ottawa. In early 2020, InDro established its Research and Development headquarters at Area X.O – the private R&D complex that enables the safe and secure development, testing and implementation of next-gen smart mobility, autonomy and connectivity technologies. It is home to many cutting-edge companies that specialize in these innovations for multiple sectors, from intelligent transportation to telecommunications, information and communications technologies, defence, public safety, smart farming, and more. What started with a single InDro engineer has since grown to 24 people.  

InDro Robotics also collaborated with Invest Ottawa on the establishment of Area X.O’s newly opened Drone and Advanced Robot Training and Testing (DARTT) facility, the first of its kind in Canada. InDro Robotics manages this high-tech obstacle course for aerial and ground robot testing, validation, and demonstration today. 

In conjunction with Invest Ottawa, InDro Forge will expand the capabilities and available services to clients, further accelerating their time-to-market and pathway to profitable growth. Invest Ottawa will continue to play a key role in promoting the facility to the technology entrepreneurial sectors. 

“InDro Robotics is an ideal partner for our prototyping lab, Invest Ottawa, and the many innovators and companies we serve,” said Michael Tremblay, President and CEO of Invest Ottawa. “We look forward to building on our strong collaboration at Area X.O, and helping firms leverage the evolving prototyping and production capabilities available through InDro Forge to accelerate their technology commercialization and business growth. We are excited to house this expertise right here at Bayview Yards, our innovation hub.” 

InDro Forge specializes in creating prototypes for clients ranging from inventors and startups through to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in need of high-quality proof-of-concepts or Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). The facility will also expand to include low-volume production runs and other specialty fabrication as required by clients 

InDro Forge’s staff have engineering backgrounds in industrial design, additive and subtractive manufacturing – and they are experts at operating the host of onsite machines capable of turning an idea or concept into a physical, real-world product. These prototypes can be shown to investors or serve as the model for mass-production. 

InDro Forge will be particularly attractive to companies that lack the equipment, expertise or time to make such products at their own facilities. InDro Forge is designed to streamline the process from concept to production. 

“We see the value when people come to us with a napkin sketch and leave with a physical prototype they can show investors,” says InDro Forge’s Pablo Arzate, an industrial designer with special expertise in additive manufacturing. He also sees synergy in the transition to InDro Robotics. “I personally am very excited – I feel like it’s meant to be,” he says. 

Capabilities at InDro Forge include advanced 3D metal printing, CNC machining, injection molding, computational rendering, production, and much more – which can take an idea from concept to completion. 

For more information, or to book a consultation with InDro Forge, contact InDro here. 

About InDro Robotics:  

With bureaux in multiple Canadian cities, InDro Robotics is the Canadian leader in Robotics Research and Development, along with complex UAV solutions, service provision and training. InDro not only develops new technologies directly for clients, but also conceives, develops, tests – and ultimately sells – other innovative solutions. The company is involved in cutting-edge trials and was the first UAV company in Canada to receive a Cargo license from the Canadian Transportation Agency. InDro has been recognized by the Aerial Evolution Society of Canada for its outstanding contributions to the industry. To arrange an interview with Philip Reece, email InDro here. 

About Invest Ottawa: 

Invest Ottawa is the lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries in Canada’s capital, facilitating economic growth and job creation in Ottawa. Guided by a vision to help realize Ottawa’s full potential as a globally recognized, innovative, inclusive and future-ready city, Invest Ottawa delivers venture development, global expansion and talent programs and services that catalyze the growth and success of entrepreneurs and firms. These include small business training, mentorship, acceleration for technology firms, foreign business and investment attraction, local business retention and expansion in targeted sectors, commercialization, and marketing Ottawa’s diversified economy and high quality of life. Invest Ottawa is also the manager of Bayview Yards, Ottawa’s innovation hub and one-stop business acceleration shop, and founder and operator of Area X.O, the R&D complex for next-gen smart mobility, autonomy and connectivity technologies. Since 2013, Invest Ottawa has supported almost 14,000, contributed to the creation of more than 14,700 jobs, helped domestic companies raise $1.86 billion in capital, and attracted $1.47 billion in domestic and foreign direct investment to Ottawa. Explore Invest Ottawa’s 2022 Economic Impact Report for additional details, or visit www.investottawa.ca. 

About Area X.O: 

Area X.O is the R&D complex in Canada’s Capital that enables and accelerates the safe and secure development, testing, and adoption of next-generation smart mobility, autonomy, and connectivity technologies. Area X.O helps startups, SMEs, multinationals, and governments address grand challenges and opportunities, and get to market faster. Combining diverse expertise with Ottawa’s telecom and cybersecurity strengths as a global tech hub and operating one of the most advanced communications infrastructures in the world, it is the only all-weather R&D complex of its kind in North America with a private and public Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) test facility on city streets that fuels the creation, commercialization, and adoption of breakthrough smart mobility innovations. These applications benefit our community, economy, and environment, and span: telecom, smart agriculture, defence, security, and public safety; unmanned aerial vehicles, and smart cities. Established and managed by Invest Ottawa, Area X.O leverages critical support from world-class founding partners, including: the Government of Canada (through FedDev Ontario), the Government of Ontario (through the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network managed by the Ontario Centre of Innovation), the City of Ottawa, Accenture, BlackBerry QNX, Ericsson, Microsoft, Nokia, and Ottawa’s post-secondary institutions. For additional information, please visit: www.AreaXO.com