TransPod: Success story

"With support from the Government of Canada, TransPod is moving quickly to deploy an innovative medical device to improve the standard of care for respiratory patients both during the pandemic and beyond."

TransPod is a Toronto-based multinational company usually focused on developing a sustainable and efficient solution for travel: a zero-emissions hyperloop transportation system.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, they quickly refocused their priorities and used their engineering expertise to create a next-generation ventilator for the healthcare sector.

To develop the ventilator, they received funding from a program called Eureka through the National Research Council of Canada. Their product is simple to operate and is equipped with sensors to assist the breathing of a patient suffering from a lung infection, including those with such complications caused by COVID-19.

Based on the principles of innovation, versatility, and affordability, their device aims to provide medical professionals with a low-cost, portable ventilator for use in ambulances, emergency field hospitals, and intensive care units.

Pivot advice

There is no manual to guide companies through these uncertain times. The urgency of COVID-19's impact on the world requires companies to:

• be willing to move quickly and adapt to changing priorities, market conditions, and customer needs and expectations
• lean in and trust each other while adjusting to new processes and goals
• evolve in a new reality with humility, creativity and optimism about the future

The pandemic has caused a great deal of destruction, but it has also presented TransPod with an opportunity to be creative, collaborative, and adaptable.