In the world of transportation and mobility, the use of connected systems has been a growing reality for nearly 10 years. From airplanes to smart cars, and routing systems for public transit, billions of control, management and safety data are transmitted daily. What happens when hackers take control of them?
To name just a few examples, breaches in connected systems have already paralyzed cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Copenhagen, endangered air travelers and revealed industrial secrets of multinational companies. These situations have significant economic, political and social repercussions.
It therefore becomes clear that companies in the mobility and transportation sector need management systems to protect data exchanges and thus avoid security breaches that would put users in danger.
The PICQ: $12.6 million to protect companies against cybercrime
In Quebec, Prompt is the trustee of theQuebec Cybersecurity Innovation Program(PICQ) which offers grants for the development of projects in this strategic technological field. Since its creation in 2019, the PICQ has developed more than 40 projects, contributed $12.6 million toward a total value of collaborative research projects of over $51 million.
If the majority of projectsfunded originate from cybersecurity players, the PICQ also attracts client companies of these technological solutions. Companies in the medical, banking and media sectors, as well as those in mobility and transportation, also face challenges related to data protection, secure information transfer, etc.
Cybersecurity at the heart of government directives
This year, in their respective budgets, the provincial and federal governments place cybersecurity at the heart of their concerns. For Quebec, the success of the PICQ program led to the announcement of the program's extension and enhancement[1]. For Canada, a $80 million budget allocation has just been announced to prioritize cybersecurity at all levels: research and development, system commercialization, education, etc.[2].
In echo to the major transportation infrastructure projects of the coming years, the opportunities for cybersecurity innovation dedicated to mobility are multiplied. Thanks to the implementation of research and development projects, Quebec's transport, security and mobility companies become safer, but also more competitive. Indeed, they have their own tools that meet their specific needs. If your company has a project in mind and is looking for financial and academic support to carry it out, Prompt, as an innovation catalyst, is here to support you.
Visitour website for more information.
[1] http://www.budget.finances.gouv.qc.ca/budget/2021-2022/fr/documents/PlanBudgetaire_2122.pdf – p. 187
This blog post is made possible thanks to our major partnerPromptas part of the Cybersecurity and Safety in Transport Forum, an initiative of Propulsion Québec and supported by the government of Quebec.
