Reinventing working from home – How a Sherbrooke start-up managed to continue activities despite the pandemic …. in a garage!
One of our members, Calogy Solutions, a young company focused on the creation of sustainable thermal management solutions for electric transport, normally conducts their experimental work at the shared laboratories at the University of Sherbrooke’s Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT).
Following the public health and safety orders issued in March in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Calogy Solutions team began to anticipate the possibility of loosing access to these facilities vital to their operations. It was then that three employees, Mehdi Hedhili, Samuel Fillion and Nicolas Voeltzel, some of whom had just begun employment at Calogy, proposed a very innovative approach to the situation. In a great display of adaptability, creativity, and passion for their work, they took action to relocate the necessary equipment and operational functions to be accessible at their homes, including setting up a temporary laboratory in a garage. The innovation applied to working from home never ceases to amaze us!
What does a lab in a garage look like?
In the final days of the shared lab being open, the three colleagues managed to move all the necessary equipment into Samuel’s garage. This new “in-house” lab allowed the team to continue carrying out preliminary trials to test their prototypes. They set up their space to accommodate, among other things, a thermal bath, heating elements, a data acquisition system for temperature, voltage and amperage, and a brand-new hydraulic press, which they had just purchased. All these tools were used for material characterization, testing both insulating and highly conductive materials. They were able to conduct an in-depth analysis of their results and validate valuable data.
They went on to also create other “departments” in their homes. The installation of a high-powered server turned Nicolas’s apartment into computing center, allowing the team to carry out engineering simulations remotely. Mehdi’s apartment also became a temporary warehouse and quality assurance center. He used his kitchen to receive and validate components coming from suppliers and parts designed by the team.
The Calogy team made sure to comply with all health and safety regulations by respecting social distancing and disinfecting all work surfaces after use. All of this extra effort to ensure the health and safety of the team members and their families was well worth it as the results of these “in-house” experiments were conclusive and enabled them to meet their ambitious deadlines set prior to the confinement.
Other benefits of this innovative approach to working from home have revealed themselves to be a true exercise of resourcefulness, a quality highly valued in start-up culture, as well as a new spirit of comradery developed between the team members as they undertook this unusual project. They hope now that the “Covid garage” will live beyond the pandemic, allowing them to continue experimental operations while limiting interactions to participate in the effort to limit the spread of the virus.
We wish them much the same success as other famous companies that begun in a garage!
Poursuivre la lecture sur le sujet
Défis Innovation Québec
The Défis innovation Québec program funds experimental projects by Québec companies with ties to government departments and public bodies in amounts up to $500,000 each.
Read more
IMPULSION Innovation Edition | The electric and smart transportation event, an international success!
Montreal, March 15, 2023 — Propulsion Québec, the cluster for electric and smart transportation (EST), organized IMPULSION, Innovation Edition, the international summit on electric and smart transportation.
Read more
IMPULSION, Innovation Edition: The international summit on electric and smart transportation starts today
Montreal, March 13, 2023 — Propulsion Québec, the cluster for Electric and Smart Transportation (EST), presents IMPULSION, Innovation Edition, the first international summit on electric and smart transportation, taking place from March 13 to 15. More than 1,000 leaders and specialists from this cutting-edge sector are converging this week – from around the globe – at the Palais des congrès de Montréal to participate in this major event, which seeks to advance sustainable mobility in Quebec and around the world.
Read more
Will industrial strategies chart a new course for the future of Quebec industries?
The Quebec economy—and more broadly the world economy—faces multiple challenges: the climate crisis, supply chain problems, labour shortages, inflation, etc. Quebec has an abundant supply of resources, know-how, and expertise; however, the next points on its agenda should include structuring, developing, and planning industrial activities.
Read more
Ambition EST 2030 : a roadmap for propelling Quebec to the forefront of the electric and smart transportation industry by 2030
Propulsion Québec, the cluster for electric and smart transportation, is announcing Ambition EST 2030, a roadmap for the electric and smart transportation (EST) industry developed in partnership with Deloitte.
Read more
The Mobility of the Future is Smart, Green, Inclusive and Healthy
Innovation is part of our Alstom in Motion 2025 strategy. It has brought us to where we are today, and we want to go even further. With the new scale and combined expertise, Alstom has doubled its innovation capacity and we will support this growth by doubling the financial investments in R&D, up to 600 million euros (875 million Canadian dollars) per year by 2024.
Read more
Third edition of IMPULSION MTL: Propulsion Québec announces the International Fleet Forum will return to an in-person format
Propulsion Québec, the cluster for electric and smart transportation, is pleased to announce that the third edition of the IMPULSION MTL International Fleet Forum will take place in person September 21 to 23, 2021, at Centre Mont-Royal in Montreal.
Read more
How the transition to electric transportation impacts manufacturing companies
At the moment, when the transportation industry was reaching a steady point of maturity, the idea of electric powered transportation arrived and shook up the entire industry. The electrification of transportation affects many functions within manufacturing companies, both in terms of developing technologies and the speed at which they are developed.
Read more
Is there a regulatory framework for location data?
Analysing location data can help service providers assess whether to boost services in one part of a city versus another, at a particular time of day or in preparation for an upcoming festival, for instance. However, the data used for these analyses is linked to individuals and makes it possible to identify them.
Read more
Five key elements to successfully achieve your business digital transformation
Integrating technology is now essential to remaining competitive and meeting ever-changing demand. A good way to guarantee a successful digital shift is to put people first. Learn how.
Read more
Launch of the second edition of IMPULSION MTL: Propulsion Québec announces a series of virtual events for its International Fleet Forum
Propulsion Québec, the electric and smart transportation cluster, is delighted to announce the 2nd edition of the IMPULSION MTL International Fleet Forum.
Read more
