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CENGN 5G Advanced Living Lab, Powered by Ericsson, Showcases Leading Indoor Advanced Positioning Technology
- The CENGN 5G Advanced Living Lab is powered by Ericsson Private 5G technology, providing access to advanced infrastructure, expert support, and real-world testing environments that enable the validation of Canadian innovation for market success and drive technology adoption across Canada’s key economic sectors.
- The lab has introduced a new Indoor Advanced Positioning service that will enable Canadian startups and scaleups to validate indoor geo-location-based applications throughout Invest Ottawa’s Cours Bayview Yards.
- A Call For Proposals was launched, by CENGN, inviting Canadian startups and scaleups whose solutions can leverage Indoor Advanced Positioning technology to apply for CENGN Living Lab projects
June 25, 2026, Ottawa ON – Today, CENGN and Ericsson demonstrated the evolving value of the 5G Advanced Living Lab by showcasing its new Indoor Advanced Positioning capabilities. Located at Bayview Yards, Ottawa’s innovation hub, the Living Lab enables Canadian startups and scaleups to test and validate their cutting-edge products and services in critical sectors, such as smart buildings, robotics, and applied artificial intelligence, accelerating their path to market readiness. Indoor Advanced Positioning marks the latest addition to the Lab’s service portfolio for CENGN projects.
Supported by a $45 million investment from the Federal Government’s Strategic Response Fund (SRF), CENGN’s national Living Lab Initiative aims to help over 100 Canadian startups and scaleups looking to prepare their innovative products and solutions for commercialization and industry adoption.
By offering access to advanced infrastructure, expert support, and real-world testing environments, the CENGN Living Lab Initiative drives technology adoption across key economic sectors. It plays a critical role in boosting Canadian industry competitiveness, fostering new Intellectual Property, and fueling the growth of the country’s most promising technology ventures.
CENGN 5G Advanced Living Lab, Powered by Ericsson
As Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks, CENGN drives the innovation and adoption of advanced networking technologies in Canada through connected infrastructure, technical expertise and services, talent development, and the nurturing of a thriving innovation ecosystem.
Last September, the organization expanded its services to include the 5G Advanced Performance Living Lab, powered by Ericsson. The Living Lab provides comprehensive pre-commercial 5G testing capabilities with complete spectrum coverage across low-band, mid-band (including NCLL), and high-band (mmWave) frequencies through ISED licensing and experimental bands. Leveraging real-world environments at Bayview Yards, the lab empowers startups and scaleups with the assets, infrastructure, and testing expertise needed to validate their innovative 5G solutions for commercialization in real vertical setups across global markets.
With the introduction of 5G Indoor Advanced Positioning, the Lab will enable validation of solutions targeting key use cases, like integrated sensor and machine solutions, as well as autonomous stationary and mobile robotics.
“Our Indoor Advanced Positioning service will enable the latest applications in AI, robotics, automation, and sensors to become market viable across sector. Ericsson is proud to bring its latest technology to the forefront of Canadian innovation through the CENGN 5G Advanced Living Lab, ensuring great Canadian startups and scaleups have the tools to validate their transformative solutions for market.”
Nishant Grover, President, Ericsson Canada.
Empowering Canada’s Leadership Across Sector in Advanced Connectivity Solutions
Sandra Cutrona, President and CEO of CENGN, explains the importance of continuously evolving the services of the CENGN Living Lab Initiative:
“The CENGN Living Lab Initiative has services and infrastructure that are always advancing to meet the needs of Canada’s most innovative startups and scaleups. By partnering with 5G leaders, like Ericsson, our Living Labs stay on the cutting edge of technology, mimicking real sector environments so Canadian companies can validate solutions for real customers.”
Sandra Cutrona, President and CEO, CENGN
Startups and scaleups can access Living Lab services through an Innovation Project, where they utilize CENGN Living Lab environments and expertise to test, validate, and certify their solutions for market entry or expansion. Alternatively, a startup can participate in an Adoption Project, where they work directly with a potential customer to test and validate their solution against the customer’s needs and requirements.
Uniting a Pan-Canadian Innovation Ecosystem
Through CENGN, the Living Labs are connected to a greater pan-Canadian ecosystem of tech-leading organizations, innovation hubs, and sector-focused organizations. This ecosystem enables the accessibility and promotion of CENGN Living Lab services to startups and scaleups nationwide, ensuring all innovative Canadian companies can engage with these advanced environments. WeTraq, a Toronto-based company specializing in predictive patient safety through IoT wearables, will be the first Canadian tech company to leverage the Indoor Advanced Positioning Service in a CENGN project.
“What excites us about 5G-based indoor positioning is how seamlessly it integrates into existing healthcare infrastructure — no beacons, no installation overhead, just immediate location intelligence layered onto a network that’s already there. For a facility deploying our wearables, that difference is significant,”
Ishaan Singla, Founder & CEO, WeTraq.
WeTraq is a cutting-edge IoT solution provider that empowers businesses to enhance safety and drive growth. By delivering real-time insights and actionable data, WeTraq enables businesses to protect their most valuable assets – people – while achieving measurable growth and compliance in today’s fast-evolving landscape.
Federal Government’s ISED Invests $45 Million
Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED)’s $45 million investment in CENGN aims to expedite the technology transformation of Canadian industry while directly supporting Canadian innovators through Innovation and Adoption Projects. The initiative provides co-investment funding up to $250,000 CAD for startups and scaleups and up to $500,000 CAD for projects with an adoption focus.
“Advancing Canada’s leadership in 5G and smart technologies is crucial for our economic growth and global competitiveness. By supporting collaborative partnerships like the CENGN Living Lab with Ericsson and Invest Ottawa, our government is giving innovators and entrepreneurs the tools and opportunities they need to accelerate the development of breakthrough solutions in areas such as smart buildings, robotics and applied AI. These partnerships help to build a stronger, more connected ecosystem—where Canadian ideas can be tested, refined and taken to markets worldwide.”
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.
This funding is expected to provide a major return on investment, including
- A significant boost in GDP growth
- The creation and safeguarding of critical tech jobs in Canada
- The launch of innovative Canadian products in the global market
- The generation of disruptive and impactful Canadian IP patents
- Sales growth and substantial follow-on investment for participating Canadian startups and scaleups
- Acceleration of Technology Readiness Levels for participating Canadian companies
- The entry of skilled professionals into critical digital technology roles nationwide
Resources:
CENGN Living Lab Initiative – https://www.cengn.ca/living-lab-initiative/
ISED SRF Program – https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en/programs-and-initiatives/strategic-response-fund
WeTraq – https://www.wetraq.ca/
5G Advanced Living Lab, Powered by Ericsson – https://www.cengn.ca/living-lab-initiative/5g-advanced-performance-living-lab/
Media Contact:
Rick Penwarden
Communications Director
CENGN -Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks
613-963-1203
CENGN – Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks
CENGN, Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks, drives innovation and adoption of applied AI, IoT, and advanced networking technologies through its Living Lab Initiative, technical expertise, and partner ecosystem. Through our services, we enable the digital transformation and competitiveness of the Canadian industry and the commercial growth of Canadian digital technology solutions. CENGN provides access to real end-user environments and the end-to-end testing services and expertise that accelerate validation, demonstration, commercialization, and adoption of digital innovation solutions across Canada and the globe.
Our unique expertise and positioning as a neutral third party in an ecosystem of technology, innovation, government, and academic partners, paired with a long track record of overperforming on program mandates, have made CENGN a trusted leader in delivering Government initiatives that support network technology innovation.
For more information on the CENGN Living Labs or for general inquiries on CENGN, please contact [email protected].
Ericsson
Over 70 Years of Connecting Canadians
For over 70 years, Ericsson Canada has been a cornerstone of the nation’s innovation ecosystem, supporting communication service providers through each mobile technology generation. Ericsson is also a key partner in the national ecosystem network aimed at fostering 5G adoption and collaboration in Canada. With R&D centers and offices in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto, Ericsson Canada is among the leading R&D spenders in the country – averaging $345 million per year. The company’s commitment to global innovation in network sustainability is driven by its investments in R&D here in Canada and through partnerships with Environment and Climate Change Canada and leading academic institutions, focusing on how AI and other technology can help achieve climate action goals.
About the Author
Rick is a proud member of the Canadian research and technology community, having an extensive background in tech commercialization and industry adoption of innovative technologies. Through his experience with start-up businesses and not-for-profit organizations, Rick is an outspoken advocate for the integration of technology to improve both industry outputs and society.
Over the past 5 years, Rick has managed the public relations and communications for CENGN, Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks. At the centre of an organization that facilitates collaboration between tech businesses, industry leaders, academia and government, Rick champions the message that talent development and commercial growth in advanced networking technology is crucial to a thriving economy.
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