VANCOUVER, British Columbia, September 9, 2009 — Today, Mr. Ed Fast, Member of Parliament for Abbotsford, on behalf of the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, announced significant investments in Canada’s aerospace and defence sector by confirming $200 million in funding for the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI) and announcing a repayable investment of $1.8 million in research and development being undertaken by AXYS Technologies Inc.
“These funds will help Canadian companies build on their existing capabilities, diversify into new areas of expertise and develop new products and services,” said Mr. Fast. “The SADI investment in AXYS Technologies builds on Canadian expertise in security technologies while helping the company to play a vital role in the growing maritime security market.”
The AXYS Technologies’ Port Waterside–Communications and Networked Data Unification project will work to collaborate data from various monitoring and surveillance sources to provide comprehensive real-time information. This technology will help defence and security organizations, port operators and other stakeholders to improve maritime security and respond promptly to security incidents such as illegal shipping, discharge of pollutants at sea, oil spills and severe weather threats.
SADI supports strategic industrial research and pre-competitive development projects in the aerospace, defence, space and security industries. SADI is managed by the Industrial Technologies Office, a special operating agency of Industry Canada with a mandate to advance leading-edge research and development by Canadian industries.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Lynn Meahan
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Tony Clement
Minister of Industry
613-995-9001
Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502
Backgrounder
The Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative
The Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI) supports strategic industrial research and pre-competitive development projects in the aerospace, defence, space and security (A&D) industries.
Launched on April 2, 2007, this new initiative was developed with three key objectives in mind:
- to encourage strategic research and development (R&D) that will result in innovation and excellence in new products and services;
- to enhance the competitiveness of Canadian A&D companies; and
- to foster collaboration among research institutes, universities, colleges and the private sector.
New funding announced for SADI will be spread over four years, starting in 2010. It will ensure that the program has enough money to meet its current obligations and an anticipated increase in demand in the future.
By investing in strategic R&D projects, SADI contributes to the development of technologies that focus on next-generation products or services, build on Canadian strengths and enable Canadian companies to participate in major platforms.
SADI is administered with high standards of transparency and accountability by the Industrial Technologies Office. All project applications undergo extensive evaluation using a clear and rigorous process with published assessment criteria. These criteria include the company’s ability to achieve the stated objectives, the project’s technology benefits, and the expected social and economic benefits. SADI is consistent with Canada’s international trade obligations.
All Canadians receive value from SADI’s contributions through the technological and economic benefits that result from supported R&D projects. These benefits include spinoffs in diverse sectors of the economy, such as nanotechnology and information technology, as well as the development of collaborative partnerships with universities, colleges and research institutions. Contributions to R&D made through SADI will also contribute to high-quality employment opportunities; strengthen Canada’s workforce with talented scientists, engineers and researchers; and leverage private sector investments in R&D.
Canada’s A&D industries are recognized around the world for producing leading-edge products and services. Domestically, these industries are important economic drivers in all regions of the country and are collectively significant players in the development of Canada’s knowledge-based economy. Among the world leaders, Canada’s A&D industries offer competitive and innovative solutions and are backed by a highly skilled workforce.
The Industrial Technologies Office is a special operating agency of Industry Canada with a mandate to advance leading-edge R&D by Canadian industries.
Backgrounder
Government of Canada Invests in R&D Project to Improve Maritime Security
The Government of Canada will make a repayable investment of $1.8 million towards a research and development (R&D) project by AXYS Technologies Inc. to develop a means of unifying data input from various monitoring and surveillance sources to provide comprehensive real-time information.
This will assist defence and security organizations, port operators and other stakeholders to improve maritime security and respond appropriately and promptly to security incidents such as illegal shipping, discharge of pollutants at sea, oil spills and severe weather threats.
Based in Sidney, British Columbia, AXYS specializes in the design, manufacturing and maintenance of systems for the remote acquisition and processing of environmental data and telemetry. This includes equipment such as moored buoys that collect meteorological data at sea or monitor ocean wave movement. AXYS holds many partnerships with universities, governments and other specialist companies in marine sciences, and plays an important role in British Columbia’s ocean technology sector.
AXYS will perform the R&D in partnership with the University of Victoria, with work taking place in Nanaimo, Prince Rupert, Sidney, Sooke and Victoria.
The Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI), launched in April 2007, supports private sector industrial research and pre-competitive development in Canada’s aerospace, defence, security and space industries through repayable investments.
The benefits of SADI include leveraging private sector investment in R&D, attracting foreign investment to Canada, helping to advance technology transfer and innovation, and developing a highly skilled workforce. SADI is managed by the Industrial Technologies Office, a special operating agency of Industry Canada with a mandate to advance leading-edge R&D by Canadian industries.
For more information about SADI, please visit the Industrial Technologies Office website.
