HotSpot and NBCC: A Perfect Match

Research Area: Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing   | Status:  Ongoing | Led By: Researcher and Student-led

The Challenge

HotSpot is a rapidly growing New Brunswick-based tech company that creates mobile-based parking and transit solutions for municipalities and businesses. They are on a quest to make getting around in smaller cities a positive and efficient experience for Canadians. HotSpot recognized that their ongoing need to foster innovation and scale their business further depended in part on their ability to onboard a diverse, solutions-oriented team with a wide range of skills and expertise.

The Solution

hotspotHotSpot routinely collaborates with NBCC’s IT academic programs as well as its Centre for Applied Research in Mobile & Ubiquitous Computing. In 2018, NBCC and HotSpot partnered to develop, prototype, test, and commercialize solutions for surface and garage parking operators. By partnering with NBCC across several projects since that time, HotSpot was able to work with many college IT students.

As an indirect result of this collaboration, the company has employed 10+ NBCC grads in the past five years. Hands-on learning awards students the opportunity to create real-world tech solutions while still in school—it also gives them and companies a head start on hiring.

About the Collaboration

At the Fredericton Campus, HotSpot is one of the College’s most important partners, and students from many programs – from IT to Business Administration – have gone on to work with them. NBCC students have also worked on several projects for HotSpot as part of their program work-integrated learning requirements, including contributing to the company’s licence plate recognition software and bus tracking applications used by people across Canada.

HotSpot Parking has been a proud partner of NBCC since 2018. NBCC students, recent graduates, instructors, and the Centre for Applied Research in Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing have all helped our company to prosper. As an example, our mobile License Plate Recognition software developed with NBCC in 2019 led to a 40% increase in efficiency for parking enforcement officers and led us to hire two NBCC graduating students. NBCC has helped HotSpot innovate to expand services to new markets and grow from 8 staff in 2018 to 30 staff today with over half NBCC grads.

Phillip Curley, CEO & Founder, HotSpot Parking

NBCC students are top-notch professionals who have a willingness to learn that is completely unmatched. NBCC is our first stop when recruiting new employees because they nurture life-long learners. They are equipped with the skills they need now, and the ability to figure out whatever they may need to do next.

Cody Pendleton, VP, Technology and Development, HotSpot Inc. and NBCC alumnus

Project Partners/Funders

Partner

HotSpot

Funders

NSERC
 
NBIF
 

Collaborate with us!

Email appliedresearch@nbcc.ca to learn more about how NBCC students can help you reach your business goals.

About Applied Research and Innovation
NBCC’s Applied Research and Innovation office helps businesses and communities find solutions to their challenges. Through its expertise, equipment, and facilities, NBCC helps its partners to solve problems, take advantage of market opportunities, and develop new, innovative processes that will enhance how New Brunswickers live, work and do business.