As of April 12, 2015, A.U.G. Signals Ltd. (AUG) established a collaborative project with the Southern Ontario Centre for Atmospheric Aerosols Research (SOCAAR), University of Toronto and the College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at Peking University to create an integrated, portable, flexible, and low-cost air pollution monitoring system. This collaboration is supported by the Ontario-China Research and Innovation Fund (OCRIF).

Urban air quality is currently a major challenge for China, with air pollution recently ranked as the 4^th leading cause of death in the nation. The negative impacts of unchecked air pollution and biological health hazards include billions in economic losses and significant damage to public health around the globe. To effectively address this environmental crisis, a new, comprehensive and accurate air monitoring approach is needed. Standard analytical tools are currently insufficient, due to their bulky size, complex design and operation, and high cost.  This new intelligent air quality monitoring system project will address these current limits, enabling the collection of more comprehensive and pertinent air quality data.

With the support of OCRIF, AUG and its partners will work together to share unique knowledge and strengthen economic and academic relationships between China and Ontario. This international collaboration will produce groundbreaking research and a market-ready product for air quality monitoring, raising the profiles of both Ontario and China in the greater scientific community. AUG’s  successful completion of this project will foster further development and growth of the clean technology industry in Ontario by promoting air quality research and international commercial partnerships.