4 September 2013 - Aéro Montréal commends Canadian government’s visionary commitment to support aerospace innovation

Montréal, September 4, 2013

Aéro Montréal, Québec's aerospace cluster, applauds the announcement made â€‹â€‹today by the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Industry, regarding the launch of the new Technology Demonstration Program. This funding commitment in support of Canadian aerospace innovation will contribute to sustainable development and help maintain the industry’s competitiveness in the face of increasing international competition.

“This important announcement directly responds to one of the main priorities for action established by the aerospace industry,” said Maria Della Posta, Chair of the Board of Directors of Aéro Montréal and Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, at Pratt & Whitney Canada. “Technology demonstration projects involve SMEs early on in the process of developing new products. This approach facilitates their growth and their integration into future aircraft platforms.”

The crucial technology demonstration phase, very expensive and risky, allows for the validation of promising concepts and prototypes in real-world settings that are closer to their potential application. This step facilitates the critical transfer of technology towards the commercialization of innovative products that will create wealth for Canada.

“The Technology Demonstration Program complements the SA2GE greener aircraft catalyst project launched in 2010 by Québec's aerospace cluster and funded in part by the Government of Quebec,” says Suzanne Benoît, President of Aéro Montréal. “The Canadian government’s support will leverage the efforts initiated in SA2GE and promote collaboration among research centres, universities, SMEs, equipment manufacturers and major OEMs in Québec and Canada. This will foster the expansion of highly innovative and competitive supply chains.”

By implementing a major commitment of its Economic Action Plan 2013, the Government of Canada is supporting a promising sector of the Canadian economy and actively contributing to the growth of an industry that will create quality jobs for future generations.

About Aéro Montréal

Aéro Montréal, Québec's aerospace cluster, is a strategic think tank that groups all the major decision makers in Québec's aerospace sector, including companies, educational and research institutions, associations and unions.

Aéro Montréal's mission is to mobilize industry players around common goals and concerted actions to increase the cohesion and optimize competitiveness of Québec’s aerospace cluster. It aims to foster the growth and expansion of the cluster so as to ensure that it may continue to create wealth for Montréal, Québec and Canada. To find out more about Aéro Montréal, visit www.aeromontreal.ca.