Vanguard Magazine

32 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 www.vanguardcanada.com AEROSPACE 4. Invest to maintain Transport Cana- da's internationally recognized status for aircraft certification and regulation TCCA's reputation as a leading civil avia- tion regulator is an important competitive asset. It is highly respected as a leading certification authority. Its regulatory ap- provals are recognized internationally as the gold standard for aircraft certification and airworthiness. However, TCCA's ability to maintain its standard of service is at risk. Additionally, TCCA regional certification and approval activity is not of the same quality as certifi- cation and approval activity conducted by TCCA headquarters. It is critical for gov- ernment to recognize this discrepancy and design appropriate corrective measures. If not, industry participants overseen by the TCCA Regions will lose an important and (currently underestimated) competitive advantage. Working together, industry and govern- ment can: • Invest in TCCA certification and stan- dards capabilities; • Create a TCCA regulatory framework that supports innovation and establish an innovation-friendly regulatory frame- work that ensures TCCA's capacity and capability to respond in a timely and ef- fective way to new technology and in- novation; • Make TCCA a regulatory innovator able to establish regulatory sandboxes (e.g., geographical areas with innovative regu- lations) where companies can test novel platforms and technologies such as new drone applications or pilotless aircraft. 5. Maximize Canada's leadership at the forefront of space Space-based technologies are a funda- mental pillar of Canada's economic, social and defence infrastructure. Many aspects of daily life depend on space-based tech- nology and infrastructure, and Canada's unique geography makes our country even more dependent on this. Continued in- vestment will have a positive impact on our northern sovereignty and help improve life in Indigenous and rural communities. Just as in aviation, global competition is intense and Canada has a real opportunity to lead. Our flag was displayed proudly on the Canadarm and the shoulders of the 10 Canadian astronauts to date who have bravely represented our country in space. That technology and those pio- neers are proof we can compete with the best the world has to offer, and win. Working together, industry and govern- ment can: • Complete the National Strategy for Space with a fully costed and funded plan. Investment should be focused on supporting and extending new missions with adequate funding to re-establish a balanced Canadian Space Program; one that supports both legacy programs and emerging innovative space initiatives in remote sensing, telecommunications, optics, science and exploration. • Take advantage of international pro- grams to build the industry and use our leverage to open the door for Canadian companies in the next wave of space ex- ploration; • Consider space from multiple perspec- tives: innovation, economics and sover- eignty. 6. Maximize defence procurement and government partnerships to drive new industrial growth A successful, workable Canadian procure- ment system must be focused on ensur- ing our men and women in uniform have access to the best available equipment, Canadian taxpayers get value for their investments, and procurement is used to promote industrial development. Government must be a partner that ag- gressively buys, sells and helps Canada's aerospace industry grow at home and abroad. Canadian companies should be given opportunities to contribute skills, technologies, systems or other compo- nents that strengthens the industry and contributes to the economy even when government is not directly "buying Cana- dian." As well, existing procurement tools and programs, such as the Industrial Techni- cal Benefit program, should be leveraged to increase Canadian military capacity and capability. Efforts to market Canada's aerospace sector on trade missions and invest in greater visibility at global industry events could go a long way toward raising the sector's international profile. Working together, industry and govern- ment can: • Establish a National Defence Industrial Strategy; • Adopt a "buy for Canada" procurement policy; • Better structure government's promo- tion of Canadian aerospace on the inter- national stage; Our flag was displayed proudly on the Canadarm and the shoulders of the 10 Canadian astronauts to date who have bravely represented our country in space. That technology and those pioneers are proof we can compete with the best the world has to offer, and win. Photo: NASA

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