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Aéro Montréal, Québec’s aerospace cluster, reported positive results for 2013 and tabled the recommendations of a White Paper stemming from the Aerospace Innovation Forum during its annual general meeting held today at Polytechnique Montréal. The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Québec, was in attendance and announced the renewal of the federal government’s financial support for Aéro Montréal’s activities.
“Québec’s aerospace industry has weathered headwinds caused by the global economic downturn with strength and resilience,” said Maria Della Posta, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and chair of the board of directors of Aéro Montréal. “We are encouraged to see the first signs of global growth and positive long-term forecasts. During the past year, the aerospace industry has stood out with the announcement of major contracts and investments in research and development, the establishment of strategic alliances, and the implementation of advanced manufacturing technologies that bode well for the future.”
Added Suzanne Benoît, president of Aéro Montréal: “To take full advantage of business opportunities arising from this new environment, Québec’s aerospace industry is devoting efforts to develop a world-class expertise, right here, in order to strengthen the competitive position of its entire value chain, including many SMEs.”
The Aerospace Innovation Forum, which experienced unprecedented success with over 1,100 participants last December, generated more than 1,000 B2B meetings among prime contractors, Tier-1 companies and suppliers. With the theme Innovation Powers Sustainability for the Aerospace Industry, this major global event further strengthened Québec’s position as a centre for aerospace innovation and inspired recommendations for implementing measures that will support the implementation of key projects.
“The recommendations of the White Paper on the 2013 Aerospace Innovation Forum confirm the strategic importance of catalyst projects already implemented by Aéro Montréal’s working groups,” said Patrick Champagne, president of Aéro Montréal’s Innovation Working Group and vice president, Cockpits and Systems Integration, Esterline CMC Electronics. “In a complex and rapidly changing global context, it is essential to continue to work together to ensure the sustainability of these structuring programs that strengthen the pillars of innovation and allow us to fully participate in this growth.”
Innovative initiatives to meet the challenges of the sector
Working with its partners, Aéro Montréal has implemented initiatives that respond to various challenges related to the supply chain, innovation and development of the next generation of employees. These include the filing of a brief as part of Québec’s new industrial policy, the start of efforts to inventory critical skills, and the growth of the MACH Initiative, both at the local and international levels.
Aéro Montréal has also taken advantage of the Annual General Meeting to launch new products and projects for the benefit of its members:
- Aeroscope: This new publication, which presents an economic overview of aerospace in Québec and Canada, summarizes all the key industry issues. Every year it will also present a report card on the health of the sector, recent data and trends, as well as economic forecasts.
- Mobile App: Available for free on iPhone and Android, the new version of the mobile application is a powerful tool for promoting the industrial capabilities of Québec’s aerospace cluster. This enhanced app features a link to the latest industry news and a calendar of events of interest, as well as access to the cluster’s business directory.
- Passion from within: Developed by Bombardier Aerospace, this structured class activity program for Grade 5 and 6 students will popularize the scientific principles of aircraft flight through a short digital presentation provided by employees of cluster companies.
