The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation this month will host a conference to encourage the adoption of artificial intelligence in the province.

The conference titled R3: Accelerating AI Innovation will take place at the Delta Hotels Beausejour in Moncton on June 23. You can find more information and register here.

The R3 series used to be biennial awards for researchers whose work has commercial applications, but more recently it has become a series of events to focus on technological trends in New Brunswick. This year, the organization is focusing on AI, and NBIF hopes those who attend the event on June 23 will come away with ways to improve their businesses.

"Artificial intelligence is providing game-changing solutions to a range of sectors and companies in New Brunswick," Paul Thornton, Senior Commercialization Officer at NBIF said in a statement. "Our forum is an opportunity for business owners and industry leaders to discover the potential of AI, big data, and machine learning for their business while learning from and connecting with top experts in the field."

Researchers and companies will share how they are developing and deploying AI and discuss the potential for collaborative projects and economic development in the region. One example is a collaboration between Kognitiv Spark and Ganong Brothers Ltd.

Fredericton-based Kognitiv Spark has developed the RemoteSpark platform, which connects workers with experts across long distances, using augmented reality so both parties can work on a piece of equipment. Ganong Brothers, which makes chocolate, now uses the system to connect experts to its factory through a headset so the expert can see exactly what the worker sees.

"Innovating and automating our processes is critical to our company's growth and competitiveness," said Nicholas Ganong, Vice-President of Automation, Innovation, and Contract Manufacturing at Ganong.

Featured keynote speakers at the R3 conference include Nora Young, host of CBC Radio's Spark, Audrey Ancion, Deloitte's AI Institute Lead, as well as speakers and panellists from l'Université de Moncton, the University of New Brunswick, DeepSense, Eigen Innovations and Terris (formerly 3D Planeta).