Aéro Montréal salutes Québec’s commitment to supporting the competitiveness of the Québec aerospace industry
Aéro Montréal salutes Québec’s commitment to supporting the competitiveness of the Québec aerospace industry
More than $85 million granted for three aerospace initiatives
Montréal, Friday, April 29, 2022 – The Québec government announced an $85 million support package for three aerospace sector initiatives during Aéro Montréal’s Annual General Meeting today. The event was held in the presence of Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy and Innovation and Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development, and attended by 150 industry representatives at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) headquarters.
$12.77 MILLION TO STRENGTHEN THE SUPPLY CHAIN
During this gathering of aerospace industry players, Minister Fitzgibbon announced $12.77 million in support to enable Aéro Montréal to implement the second phase of the MACH FAB 4.0 initiative as well as participate in the “Preferred Supplier” approach. Launched in 2016 as part of the 2016-2026 Québec Aerospace Strategy, the MACH FAB 4.0 initiative was created to foster the integration of digital and advanced manufacturing technologies within SMEs.
Through this support, the Québec government wants to facilitate the continuation of support for existing digital transformation projects. It will also help to expand the Québec government’s Digital Transformation Offensive (OTN) awareness and diagnostic initiative.
This essential lever for Québec SMEs opens the way to an additional “preferred supplier” approach. By combining better knowledge of the financial assistance programs offered by the Québec government and increased visibility of the needs of OEMs and the capabilities of Québec suppliers, the “preferred supplier” approach will ensure that Québec aerospace companies maintain their competitive edge.
“By accelerating and strengthening the digital shift begun in Phase 1, the extension of the MACH FAB 4.0 initiative is an essential tool to ensure the competitiveness of our Québec aerospace companies in a period of economic recovery. By strengthening the value chain, from SMEs to OEMs, the Québec government is ensuring that the attractiveness of the cluster’s companies is enhanced and that they can adjust to market needs. By optimizing operations for companies, this 4.0 shift contributes to mitigating the labour shortage challenge, helps reduce our carbon footprint and optimizes manufacturing costs. This initiative undeniably preserves the aerospace sector’s ability to remain Québec’s leading manufacturing exporter.” Suzanne M. Benoît, President of Aéro Montréal
A MASSIVE MOBILIZATION FOR THE RECOVERY
Two complementary initiatives will also be supported by the Québec government. The Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ) will receive $16 million for pre-competitive research projects, large-scale technology demonstrators and international partnerships. The Coalition for Greener Aircraft will also receive $56,472,754 to support the implementation of Phase 2 of the mobilizing project Collaborative projects of the aircraft of tomorrow (LPCAD-2). These investments in research and sustainable innovation will leverage support for innovation, identified by companies in the sector as the key link to an effective recovery.
ATTRACTING THE NEXT GENERATION – A CHALLENGE FOR THE FUTURE 
Aéro Montréal's Annual General Meeting was also an opportunity to highlight the massive commitment being made by the sector’s companies to the Québec aerospace cluster. In 2021, more than 480 Québec aerospace leaders and specialists were involved in the cluster’s working groups and committees with one common concern in mind: attracting future talent.
As the sector begins its recovery, a large majority of companies must meet the challenge of labour shortages. "The scarcity of labour marked the year 2021 and is likely to continue for years to come. In response, Aéro Montréal mobilized as never before in 2021 to identify creative solutions that it will implement in 2022. We launched a community of interest on the subject by bringing together human resources management professionals, we increased our public visibility and, thanks to our tools, we facilitated the matching of the sector’s opportunities with the talent available on the market. Moving forward, we will make sure we talk to the next generation to convince them of the great opportunities offered by our industry,” says Ms. Benoît.