The Honourable Christian Paradis, PC, MP
Minister of Industry
Montréal, Quebec
December 5, 2011
Speaking Points
Check Against Delivery
Good afternoon.
Thank you for the kind introduction. It is a privilege to join you this afternoon.
I want to begin by congratulating Aéro Montréal for once again putting together a great Aerospace Innovation Forum this year in collaboration with the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Quebec.
This forum has quickly become one of the premier venues for discussing the future of Quebec's aerospace industry, and this year's focus on innovation in a sustainable supply chain is particularly timely.
Ladies and gentlemen, as a Quebecer and the Minister responsible for Quebec, I am tremendously proud of the province's aerospace industry and the role it plays in the broader Canadian aerospace sector.
We all know about the impressive statistics of Montréal's — and Quebec's — aerospace industry: 235 companies, $11 billion in annual revenues and nearly 40,000 workers, making Montréal the third largest aerospace cluster in the world after Toulouse and Seattle.
What's interesting about the Montréal region's aerospace industry is that you can find all the components you need to manufacture a new airplane within a 30 kilometre radius. Now that is impressive.
But what really intrigues me is that so many of the companies in Quebec are relatively small and are doing very specialized work in collaboration with larger — and very often international — original equipment manufacturers.
The global aerospace market is no stranger to Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney Canada, CAE and Héroux-Devtek, Quebec's major aerospace success stories. They are some of our top global ambassadors for the cutting-edge, innovative technologies being developed in Canada and specifically here in Montréal.
Alongside these larger companies, smaller firms are accomplishing some monumental achievements. Whether specializing in the manufacture of advanced composites, offering innovative and economical repair solutions, or designing and manufacturing lightweight structures and sheet metal assemblies, some of these small and medium-sized companies are doing highly technical, high-skill work right here in this region.
This kind of hard work and success is particularly encouraging during this time of economic uncertainty.
It is no secret that the ongoing financial situation in Europe and in the United States continues to have an impact on economic growth around the world. I recognize that this has affected the bottom line for many of you.
In the midst of this uncertainty, Canada's best course is to stay the course. But that does not mean standing still.
Our government has been given a strong mandate to focus on economic growth and job creation. This is a mandate that we take seriously, and one we intend to deliver on.
As we look beyond the current uncertainty, there are many positive signs for Canada.
The IMF projects that our economy will be among the best performers in the G7 this year and next.
Forbes magazine recently named Canada the number one country in which to do business.
And our aerospace sector is building on our strong record of investment in R&D and innovation. In fact, in the Quebec manufacturing sector, aerospace ranks first in R&D investment.
In short, ladies and gentlemen, we have a lot to be proud of. We are well equipped to seize the future opportunities that will arise from the growth of this industry.
As the economies of Asia and Latin America continue to strengthen, passenger and freight travel are expected to grow exponentially.
The Conference Board of Canada anticipates that the growing importance of these emerging markets and the rising demand for more fuel-efficient aircraft will contribute to considerable growth in the commercial aerospace sector.
This potential growth will spur investments and advancements in the sector around the world. Our challenge is to ensure that manufacturers throughout the world tap into the technology and expertise of our Canadian companies.
Seizing this growth potential is the motivation behind Aéro Montréal's MACH initiative, which I commend for its commitment to helping local companies link into advanced supply chains around the globe.
What underpins this initiative is the reality that the government and the aerospace industry collectively face: the need to innovate.
As recently reported by the Jenkins panel on federal support for R&D, we must remain committed to innovation.
The MACH initiative is just the latest example of companies, universities and research institutions working together to leverage one another's expertise.
These partnerships are the formula for Canada's competitive advantage. This is where innovation happens.
And I'm happy to say that our government has been a committed partner in support of this work.
From a business-to-business angle, we have facilitated an enormous amount of synergies, which have generated related economic benefits.
But, ladies and gentlemen, our long-term growth will not only come from designing new products and strengthening supply chains but also training the engineers of tomorrow.
With that in mind, I would like to acknowledge the commitments made by many of you here to the Centre technologique en aérospatiale, which opened its doors just last month.
Our government provided support, together with the Quebec government, to help create this centre. In doing so — and through programs at schools like the École Polytechnique de Montréal — we are working with businesses to invest in training the technicians and engineers that will help carry this industry well into the 21st century.
Also last month, through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's College and Community Innovation Program, our government invested more than $8 million to support 20 innovative partnerships between colleges and businesses in Quebec. As part of this investment, Collège Édouard-Montpetit received $2.3 million, over five years, to implement new methods of inspecting aerospace components made with composite material.
These are just the latest examples of the federal government's commitment to the Canadian aerospace industry.
Ladies and gentlemen, we understand the significance of innovation.
It's why we have supported Canada's aerospace industry through the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative, National Research Council Canada's Institute for Aerospace Research and Industrial Research Assistance Program, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's strategic investments in science and technology.
It's why we have the Industrial and Regional Benefits Policy in place, which has helped many of you here today access new opportunities.
It's why we continue to strongly support Canada's participation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program.
It's why we have invested billions of dollars in university campuses across Canada to create engineering labs and facilities that will be the incubators of future technologies.
And it's why, in Budget 2011, we committed to reviewing government programs and policies related to the aerospace and space industries in Canada to ensure their long-term competitiveness. I hope to announce the launch of the review in the near future.
My friends, we are your partners in success — today, tomorrow and for many years to come.
I look forward to working with you. For Quebec and for Canada.
Thank you.
