June 16, 2026 Quebec City-based robotics company Robotiq has launched an AI-powered platform called IQ to accelerate the deployment of robots in manufacturing facilities. The company says the platform can reduce deployment timelines from months to days and potentially allow manufacturers to install twice as many robotic systems using the same resources.
Robotiq, founded in 2008 as a spinout from Laval University, develops robotics components such as grippers, sensors, workcells, and software used to automate repetitive industrial tasks.
According to CEO and co-founder Sam Bouchard, IQ was created to simplify the often lengthy process of integrating robotics into factories. Traditionally, deploying robotic systems involves multiple stages of planning, coordination, validation and troubleshooting that can take significant time and expertise. To address that challenge, Robotiq trained IQ using knowledge and data gathered from projects completed over the past 18 years. The company prioritized development of the platform over the last six months.
At the center of IQ is the concept of a workcell, which combines hardware, software, and human interaction to enable robotic operations in manufacturing environments. Workcell integration requires consideration of numerous factors, including site dimensions, customer requirements and product constraints.
Bouchard said that as much as 60 per cent of a typical robotics integration project can be spent waiting for information or making adjustments rather than performing productive work.
IQ is designed to reduce those delays by helping companies determine whether a robotic system can perform a specific task, automatically collecting project information through voice notes, file uploads and 3D site scans, coordinating projects with machine learning tools, and creating digital twin models to test performance before deployment.
The company says these capabilities can reduce installation errors and delays while improving productivity, customer satisfaction, and return on investment.
The platform is currently focused on palletizing applications, which Bouchard described as a key part of the logistics chain. Robotiq plans to expand IQ into additional industries, including food and beverage, consumer products and industrial goods.
Bouchard said he does not view the platform as a replacement for engineers. Instead, he sees it as a tool that automates repetitive administrative work, such as note-taking, while helping younger engineers develop skills more quickly.
From a three-person startup, Robotiq has grown to employ 130 people and operates an office in Europe. Its products are used in tens of thousands of factories worldwide, with customers including Haribo, Lindt, Procter & Gamble, Mars and other Fortune 500 companies.
Bouchard also argued that robotics adoption will be critical to improving Canada’s manufacturing productivity. He noted that Canada’s robot density has declined in recent years while other countries continue to increase automation investments, warning that the trend could hurt the country’s long-term economic competitiveness if it continues.
