Vention opened a physical AI lab in Montreal to focus on robotic manipulation for manufacturing industries such as electronics and automotive. Led by Jimmy Li, director of physical AI, the lab combines robotics control, motion planning and vision foundation models to develop scalable AI solutions for complex manufacturing tasks. Joelle Pineau, chief AI officer at Cohere, joins as external technical advisor to help guide research. “Physical AI will fundamentally expand what manufacturers can automate,” said Etienne Lacroix, founder and CEO, Vention. The lab leverages the company’s global footprint, including 90 Fortune 500 clients, to test AI models in real production environments.