Vanguard Magazine

26 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 www.vanguardcanada.com AerosPACe An urgent need to T he global aerospace indus- try is growing and evolv- ing at an unprecedented rate, constantly innovating and pushing the boundaries of technology, engineering, and human achievement to new heights. As demand for air travel continues to expand, new op- portunities await our industry – opportu- nities we must be ready to capitalize on. But with opportunity comes risk – the risk that other countries are also competing for these opportunities, and without a strong, coordinated effort from government and industry, we could be left behind. In this high-stakes industry, success has never been guaranteed. But despite the challenges, Canadian aerospace has a his- tory of punching above our weight and succeeding at the highest levels. A key ingredient to our success has been col- laboration. Getting ahead in a globally- integrated, highly complex industry with stakeholders and decision-makers cross- ing multiple sectors, regions and jurisdic- tions is only possible when industry, gov- ernment, colleges and universities work together. And up to this point, the col- laborative system has worked well. Cana- dian aerospace, the fifth largest aerospace BY JIm QuICk industry in the world, has been a leading player on the world stage. For example, Canadian aerospace manu- facturing ranked among the highest in the world in terms of its contribution to to- tal manufacturing GDP (gross domestic product). About 75 per cent of the Ca- nadian output is exported and we form key parts of the supply chain of many companies that operate around the world. Exports grew 54 per cent between 2010 and 2015, with exports to Asian markets increasing more than 100 per cent. Finally, Canada ranks first globally in civil flight simulation and second worldwide in busi- ness aircraft production. The industry is important to Canada's economy, too. The sector contributed nearly $25 billion to Canada's economy and almost 190,000 jobs in 2017 alone. It leads Canada's manufacturing sector in innovation-related investment, spending more than $1.8 billion on R&D annu- ally – nearly a quarter of all manufactur- ing R&D. And like every industry that has even been successful in Canada, effective and supportive government policy makes a difference. Whether it be Canada's au- tomotive sector, natural resources, or our financial industry – success has been dependent on sensible public policy that takes into account industry realities and the global marketplace. Unfortunately, just as the opportunity has never been greater, today Canadian aerospace is at risk of missing out and los- ing the advantage we've worked so hard to build. As the voice of Canada's aerospace industry, we've heard an overwhelming amount of concern from our members. They want to ensure that Canada remains a place that attracts and retains investment in this sector. But to make that happen, a new vision for Canada's aerospace sector is required that all of us – industry, gov- ernment, and stakeholders – are unified behind and committed to. In response to these concerns, in early October we launched Vision 2025: Be- yond our Imagination. It's an industry-led outreach plan designed to start a new dia- logue about the way forward for Canada's aerospace sector to ensure it can continue to compete globally. With Vision 2025, we're focusing not just on the Canadian aerospace environment, but on Canada's place in the world. In this globally integrat- ed sector, that's where the aerospace com- petition is – and the competition is only getting tighter. Countries with established

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