24 July 2012
Oshawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today welcomed the announcement by General Motors of Canada Limited (GM Canada) that it will make significant investments in research and development (R&D) activities in Canada.
“Auto assembly is the engine of Southern Ontario manufacturing and its demand for components creates economic growth right across the country,” said Prime Minister Harper. “Investment in R&D brings long-term benefits to Canada, drives made-in-Canada innovation, increases our ability to compete internationally and creates high-paying and stable jobs.”
The commitments outlined today by GM Canada’s include:
- Investing in new streams of state-of-the-art advanced technology research at the Canadian Engineering Centre in Oshawa, positioning the facility as an integral part of GM’s global engineering and R&D networks;
- Enhancing partnerships with automotive suppliers that strengthen innovation and competitiveness in the Canadian supplier base, including new co-development projects and greater opportunities for start-ups to access funding through GM Ventures; and
- Continuing to develop formal technology linkages among Canadian universities, institutes, suppliers and manufacturers in key technology areas.
In 2009, the Governments of Canada and Ontario contributed $9.5 billion US in restructuring assistance to GM Canada, in part to avoid the collapse of a much broader system of suppliers, parts companies and R&D in the auto sector. The company committed at that time to making significant capital investments in its Canadian operations over the life of the agreement, already announcing investments totaling $1 billion. GM also committed to investing $850 million US in R&D in Canada from 2009 through 2016. GM Canada’s investment in R&D activities in Canada is one of the tangible benefits being realized by Canadians as a result of the 2009 restructuring support.
Canada’s auto sector is the largest industry within the Canadian manufacturing sector and a key driver of the economy. The auto sector employs hundreds of thousands of Canadians, directly and indirectly, including thousands of auto parts makers.
