MONTRÉAL, May 21, 2024
/CNW/ - Aéro Montréal has kicked off the 9th edition of
its International Aerospace Innovation Forum, the largest gathering
of international aerospace decision-makers in Canada, with the announcement of a designated
aerospace innovation zone, Espace Aéro, for which Aéro Montréal
will be responsible for implementation and governance. François
Legault, Premier of Québec, François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation,
Science and Industry of Canada, Pierre
Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy
of Québec, and Mélanie Lussier, President of Aéro Montréal, made
the announcement this morning at the Palais des congrès de Montréal
at the opening of the event.
ESPACE AÉRO: Stimulating
collaborative innovation to remain a world leader in
aerospace
The successful completion of this project is the result of four
years of coordinated work by Aéro Montréal, its industrial and
institutional partners, and the cities of Montréal (borough of
Saint-Laurent), Longueuil and Mirabel to create an essential innovation
ecosystem that will attract world-class investors and
collaborators. In an increasingly competitive international
environment, Espace Aéro will strengthen the attractiveness of the
industry and the strategic international positioning of Québec's
aerospace sector. It will also propel Québec's aerospace cluster to
the next level of collaborative innovation and accelerate the
transition to sustainable and intelligent air mobility, while
attracting talent and companies from home and abroad.
To achieve its goal, Espace Aéro will draw on the three
historical and complementary hubs of Montréal (borough of
Saint-Laurent), Mirabel and Longueuil, and focus its efforts on two key
themes: decarbonization and autonomy. By combining the strengths of
these three hubs, Espace Aéro will stimulate collaboration among
all players, from small and medium-sized companies to major
international players, as well as educational institutions and the
research community. As the industry undergoes a major
transformation in response to climate change, Espace Aéro will act
as a catalyst for sustainable innovation in the ecosystem.
Espace Aéro is the result of the combined efforts of the 18
members of a steering committee. Aéro Montréal would therefore like
to thank each of them for their collaboration, without which this
major step forward would not have been possible: Bombardier; CAE;
Pratt & Whitney Canada; CMC Electronics; Bell Textron
Canada Ltd.; Aéroports de Montréal; Polytechnique Montréal;
Concordia University; McGill University; National Research Council Canada
(NRC); Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in
Québec (CRIAQ); École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS); École
nationale d'aérotechnique (ÉNA); City of Montréal; Excellence
Industrielle St-Laurent; City of
Longueuil; Développement économique Longueuil; City of
Mirabel; and Centre d'excellence sur les drones.
Aéro Montréal will receive a maximum of $3 million over the next three years to ensure
the implementation and governance of this Québec innovation zone
(ZIQ).
"After the Quantum Zone in Sherbrooke, the Digital Technologies Zone in
Bromont and the Energy Transition
Valley for batteries in Mauricie-Centre-du-Québec, I am very proud
to announce the designation of a fourth innovation zone, in the
aerospace field. Concentrated in the Greater Montreal area, Espace Aéro brings
together companies, universities and research centers to carry out
training, cutting-edge research and applied testing. I'm
particularly proud that Quebec is
now the only place in the world where the three aviation giants,
Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier, have a direct presence. It says a
lot about the quality of our business environment, but also about
the talent of the Quebec workforce
and the quality of the research being done here. The new Espace
Aéro innovation zone will strengthen Quebec's expertise in aerospace."
François Legault, Premier of Québec
"Our government continues to play a vital role in the growth of
Quebec's aerospace industry.
Today's announcement is a concrete example of our aerospace
economic benefits policy at work. With this important investment,
Boeing is helping to strengthen Canada's position as a global
aerospace supply chain leader, driving innovation and creating
high-quality jobs for Canadian workers."
– The Honourable François-Philippe
Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
"With Bombardier, Airbus and now Boeing, Quebec is the only place in the world where
you can find the world's three largest aircraft manufacturers. The
new Espace Aéro zone will strengthen Quebec's aerospace industry by attracting
major investments, stimulating innovation and training new talent
to meet the aviation challenges of tomorrow."
Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of
Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister responsible for Regional
Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Metropolis
and the Montréal Region
"The creation of Espace Aéro is the culmination of many years of
collaborative efforts to accelerate the sustainable transformation
of our industry. By focusing on decarbonization and autonomy,
Espace Aéro will serve as a showcase for Québec: a powerful lever
for attracting tomorrow's talent and local and international
recognition."
Mélanie Lussier, President and CEO of Aéro Montréal.
Launch of the 9th
International Aerospace Innovation Forum
The International Aerospace Innovation Forum, which kicked off
this morning, is a must-attend event for the local and
international aerospace industry. On May
21 and 22, more than 140 speakers will share their vision
and expertise with decision-makers, professionals, media and
students from around the world in conferences grouped around the
key themes of sustainable transformation, innovation and emerging
technologies. The United Kingdom
is the featured country at this 2024 edition, with the theme:
"Collaboration: The Innovation Accelerator." The event is an
opportunity to reflect on the future of the industry and showcase
the major technological advances of tomorrow.
A real source of pride for Québec, the aerospace industry has
flourished here and made Montréal the third largest aerospace
centre in the world. Today, the Montréal cluster employs more than
41,700 highly skilled workers, generates annual sales of more than
$20.9 billion, and is Québec's
largest export sector.
"The 9th edition of the International Aerospace
Innovation Forum is all about collaboration, and we couldn't have
kicked it off in a better way than with the designation of the
Espace Aéro aerospace innovation zone. By bringing together
Canada's aerospace sector and creating major collaborative projects
such as Espace Aéro, we are ensuring that we create the levers of
attraction that will allow us to draw the attention of the 38,000
talents we will need over the next 10 years to further strengthen
Québec's leading export sector." Mélanie Lussier, President and CEO
of Aéro Montréal.
This event was made possible by the following major
partners:
- Bombardier – Major Partner of
the event;
- Pratt & Whitney Canada – Associate Partner;
- CAE, National Research Council of
Canada (NRC), Initiative for sustainable aviation technology
(INSAT) and Investissement Québec – Innovation Partners.
About Aéro Montréal
Created in 2006, Aéro Montréal is a strategic think tank that
groups all major decision makers in Québec's aerospace sector,
including companies, educational and research institutions, as well
as associations and unions.
The activities of Aéro Montréal are made possible thanks to the
participation of the governments of Canada and Québec, the Montréal
Metropolitan Community, as well as
company members of the cluster.
SOURCE Aéro Montréal