Orcinus Technologies Inc. (Orcintech) has been awarded a Canadian Space Agency (CSA)-Funded Contract to pilot a data-driven approach to reducing moose-vehicle collisions in Newfoundland & Labrador.

Following the announcement, Dr. Hodjat Shiri, engineering professor at Memorial University and founder of Orcintech, discussed the project in a recent interview with CBC’s Jamie Fitzpatrick, where he outlined why current mitigation strategies may not be delivering the best results.

Over the last two years, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has spend more than $10 million attempting to reduce moose-vehicle collisions across the province. Despite this investment, the problem persists, with an average of over 500 collisions every year, posing serious risk to public safety, infrastructure, and wildlife.

In the CBC Interview, Dr. Shiri challenged a core assumption behind many existing approaches: that traditional physical interventions alone are enough.

Most current spending focuses on measures such as roadside fencing, brush clearing, and warning signage. While these interventions have value, Dr. Shiri explained they are often reactive, expensive to maintain, and not always deployed in the areas of highest risk.

Moose–vehicle collisions, he noted, are not random events. They follow patterns influenced by animal behavior, seasonal movement, traffic conditions, weather, and landscape features.

The CSA-funded pilot project awarded to Orcintech brings together satellite data, drones, artificial intelligence, and geospatial analysis to proactively assess collision risk before incidents occur.

Rather than relying solely on static infrastructure, the approach focuses on identifying high-risk zones, monitoring changes in environmental conditions, and supporting evidence-based decisions on where and when interventions are most effective.

As environmental conditions and public budget pressures evolve, data-driven approaches like this may play an increasingly important role in transportation safety strategies across Canada.

Watch the full interview with Dr. Hodjat Shiri on CBC to learn more about how this CSA-funded project aims to improve wildlife collision prevention in Newfoundland and Labrador.