Boisbriand, Québec, July 15th, 2025 – Kinova, a global leader in professional and medical robotics, today announced a strategic collaboration with QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited, bringing together Kinova’s advanced robotic arm hardware with the real-time, deterministic capabilities of the QNX® OS 8.0 to deliver an integrated platform to accelerate the development of next-generation medical robotic applications.
By combining Kinova’s robotic arm Software Development Kit (SDK) with the QNX® Software Development Platform (SDP) 8.0 developers can now more easily and quickly build differentiating end-user applications across a wide spectrum of medical robotics – including robot-assisted surgery, diagnostic imaging, therapeutic assistance, and service-based healthcare robotics.
This hardware-software synergy provides a robust, modular foundation that allows medical device manufacturers and integrators to accelerate innovation while reducing development complexity and time-to-market. The platform supports real-time control, high reliability, and secure operation, all essential for safety-critical medical environments.
Importantly, QNX OS 8.0 is built with safety in mind, adhering to IEC 62304 Class C standard – the highest level of safety classification for medical device software. This helps customers comply with global regulatory requirements and expedites the development of safety-critical applications.
“By combining Kinova’s precision-engineered robotic systems with the proven safety and performance of QNX OS 8.0, we are empowering our customers to develop cutting-edge medical robotic solutions with confidence”, said François Boucher, Vice President of Business Development at Kinova. “This collaboration not only enhances the value proposition for our customers but also significantly lowers integration costs and simplifies certification pathways.”
“Our collaboration with Kinova represents an important step forward in enabling the next generation of medical robotics,” said Jim Hirsch, VP of NA and EMEA IoT Sales at QNX. “By combining our real-time operating system with Kinova’s advanced robotic arm platform, we’re giving customers the tools they need to innovate faster while meeting high standards of safety and security. Together we are laser-focused on empowering developers to bring transformative solutions to market with confidence and speed.”
Kinova Media Contact
Julie Huberdeau
marketing@kinova.ca
514 277-3777
Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Boisbriand, Québec, Kinova is a global leader in assistive and collaborative robotics. Its products – proudly designed, developed, and assembled in Canada – reflect an unwavering commitment to quality and innovation across medical, professional, and assistive applications.
QNX®, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB), provides the trusted foundation that software-defined and physical AI systems depend on to operate safely and predictably in the real world. For nearly half a century, QNX has powered safety-critical applications where failure is not an option. The business leads the way in delivering safe and secure operating systems, hypervisors, middleware, solutions, and development tools, along with the support and services delivered by trusted embedded software experts. Today, QNX technology underpins hundreds of millions of vehicles on the road and a wide range of mission-critical systems across industrial controls, robotics, medical devices, commercial transportation, rail, and aerospace and defense. QNX is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada.
Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Boisbriand, Québec, Kinova is a global leader in assistive and collaborative robotics. Its products – proudly designed, developed, and assembled in Canada – reflect an unwavering commitment to quality and innovation across medical, professional, and assistive applications.
QNX®, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB), provides the trusted foundation that software-defined and physical AI systems depend on to operate safely and predictably in the real world. For nearly half a century, QNX has powered safety-critical applications where failure is not an option. The business leads the way in delivering safe and secure operating systems, hypervisors, middleware, solutions, and development tools, along with the support and services delivered by trusted embedded software experts. Today, QNX technology underpins hundreds of millions of vehicles on the road and a wide range of mission-critical systems across industrial controls, robotics, medical devices, commercial transportation, rail, and aerospace and defense. QNX is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada.
