Inside WSP’s Innovation Lab

Where innovation becomes reality

Complex environmental and engineering challenges often demand more than standard solutions. Whether operating in remote locations, extreme conditions, or data-constrained environments, projects require technologies that are reliable, adaptable, and ready for the field.

The Innovation Lab is where WSP transforms ideas into deployable solutions, combining applied research, advanced technologies, and hands-on engineering to solve real-world challenges.

What the Innovation Lab does

The Innovation Lab is WSP’s hub for applied environmental and digital innovation. The Lab designs, builds, tests, and deploys custom solutions where off-the-shelf tools fall short.

Its role is simple: turn complex challenges into operational, field-ready solutions.

This includes:

Delivering reliable environmental data in harsh or remote conditions
Designing custom instrumentation and sensing systems tailored to complex sites
Providing instant, decision‑ready insights through real‑time digital platforms
Automating data processing with AI, so experts can focus on interpreting results rather than handling files
Rapidly prototyping, testing, and deploying field‑ready solutions

Projects supported by the lab

60+

Active WSP Smart users

450+

Data points processed

320M+

Our approach: From challenge to solution

Every engagement begins with a clear challenge. From there, the Lab follows a proven, hands-on process designed to move quickly from concept to deployment.

1. Understanding the challenge

Environmental, regulatory, logistical, and operational constraints are analyzed in detail to ensure solutions are designed for real conditions, not ideal ones.

2. Designing the solution

Multidisciplinary teams combine electronics, mechanical engineering, software development, and environmental expertise to design integrated systems.

3. Prototyping and testing

Solutions are built and tested in the Lab, then validated in real-world conditions to ensure reliability, autonomy, and performance.

4. Field deployment

We deploy technologies in the field, gather user and client feedback, and use these insights to deepen our understanding, inspire new ideas, and boost system reliability.

5. Scaling and reuse

Successful solutions become modular, reusable platforms that can be adapted to new environments and applications.

What makes the Lab different is how disciplines come together. For one marine project, we combined electronics, mechanics, and software to overcome harsh conditions and deliver a fully functional solution, fast and without external subcontracting.

Mathieu Deshaies Team leader, Innovation Lab, WSP in Canada

Mathieu Deshaies Team leader, Innovation Lab, WSP in Canada

Innovation in action

Autonomous multiparameters buoy

Monitoring oceanic parameters in real time, including the presence of marine mammals around dredging activities, is a critical challenge for projects operating under strict environmental regulations. To address this, the Lab designed and manufactured a stand‑alone autonomous multiparameters buoy that integrates multiple sensors, including passive acoustic monitoring, and provides continuous access to real‑time data from diverse parameters. This innovation enabled regulatory approval for night‑time dredging operations while maintaining a marine mammal exclusion zone, extended operational windows without compromising environmental protection, and ensured delivery of both equipment and operational support.

Standardizing instrumentation for faster, more reliable deployments

Across multiple projects, the complexity and variability of instrumentation cabinets created costly delays and maintenance risks. Each configuration requires custom work, making deployments slow and inconsistent. To solve this, WSP’s Innovation Lab developed a standardized, modular instrumentation platform built for flexibility and resilience. Featuring uniform components, optimized assembly, and compatibility with diverse equipment, the system also integrates hybrid power options, grid, solar, and battery, for remote sites. The result is a solution that reduces costs through standardization, shortens fabrication timelines, and delivers greater reliability and autonomy in isolated environments. Today, this platform enables WSP teams to deploy instrumentation faster and more consistently, unlocking efficiency without compromising performance.

Digital innovation as a differentiator

For a mining project, WSP’s Innovation Lab implemented a digital portal that centralizes and visualizes real-time data collected from instrumentation stations designed and built in the lab. By automating data collection and processing, the solution eliminated delays in analysis and enabled faster, more informed decision-making directly on site. This system provides real-time visibility into critical environmental data, reduces manual handling and processing time, and improves the ability to meet tight project deadlines despite complex logistics. Because teams no longer need to travel on site to retrieve data manually, it also enhances worker safety. By pairing physical monitoring systems with cloud-based platforms and automation, the Lab transforms raw data into actionable insights, helping teams work smarter and respond quickly to evolving conditions.

Meet the Visioneers

“Automation and real-time platforms save time and transform decision-making on site. Every project pushes the boundaries of what’s possible.”

Alisée Perreault, Software developer, WSP in Canada

Alisée focuses on digital innovation, turning environmental monitoring into actionable intelligence that helps teams make smarter, faster decisions.

“Our greatest value comes from rapid prototyping and field deployment. We design solutions that work in real conditions and support teams every step of the way.”

Mathieu Deshaies, Team leader, Innovation Lab, WSP in Canada

Mathieu leads projects that demand speed and precision, ensuring every innovation moves from concept to reality without compromise.

Contact us

Mathieu Deshaies

Team leader, Innovation Lab

Canada

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Inside WSP’s Innovation Lab

Inside WSP’s Innovation Lab

Where innovation becomes reality

What the Innovation Lab does