2024-03-06
The Digital Technology Cluster has created a technology ecosystem that brings key ecosystem players to the project table—businesses of all sizes, academic institutions, research groups, community organizations, and government. A key feature of their partnership structure is ensuring that "the voice of the customer" is present on each project. Having potential end clients involved closely and actively in every project enables project teams to develop products and services in response to real client reactions and evolving needs. It means that developers and large commercial clients are brought together at the beginning of development and not at the point of sale; that projects move from innovation to commercialization in months rather than years; and that companies can scale products and services faster. It means Canada can start tackling its most vexing challenges now.
The XrAI project is just one example of companies coming together efficiently to tackle issues as a collective. XrAI is Synthesis Health's artificial intelligence-driven tool that identifies lung abnormalities on chest x-rays in real-time, allowing clinicians in emergency rooms and rural hospitals to better diagnose COVID-19, pneumonia, tuberculosis and lung cancer. The Cluster's co-investment enabled Synthesis Health to accelerate the clinical deployment of the radiology tool in hospitals and clinics in communities in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario. The speed and efficiency of these installations are a direct result of the collaboration fostered by DIGITAL.
The Canadian Platform for Genomics and Precision Health is another prime example. The project builds on two previous projects (COVID Cloud and the Autism Sharing Initiative) demonstrating DNAstack's collaborative prowess and bringing key and diverse stakeholders to the table. The new project will create a menu of software and related services for data generators (sequencing companies, hospitals, precision health initiatives, patient advocacy groups and funders) who want to increase the impact of their data, and for data consumers (health ministries and pharmaceutical companies) who want to extract insights from shared data.
Digital Technology Cluster
Projects supporting collaboration and ecosystem development:
XrAI
- Partners:
- Synthesis Health, Microsoft, First Nations Health Authority, Trillium Health Partners, Vancouver Coastal Health, Saskatchewan Health Authority, Fraser Health Authority
- Location:
- Vancouver, British Columbia
The Canadian Platform for Genomics and Precision Health
- Partners:
- DNA Stack, Pacific BioSciences Research Centre Inc., Autism Speaks Canada, Cyclica Inc., Sick Kids, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, McGill University, University of New Brunswick, Hoffman-La Roche Limited (Roche Canada), Integrate.Ai
- Location:
- Toronto, Ontario