Vanguard Magazine

tHE Canadian aERoSpaCE Summit 2019 New Chair SeleCted, a Call to Move viSioN 2025 Forward, aNd the reCogNitioN oF three aeroSpaCe leaderS dEFEnCE EVEnt 34 DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 www.vanguardcanada.com BY maRCEllo SukHdEo O n November 12-13, the Aerospace Industries Asso- ciation of Canada (AIAC) held its annual Canadian Aerospace Summit in Ot- tawa. As a national organization serving Canada's aerospace manufacturing and services sector, AIAC has been advancing aerospace initiatives to propel the industry as a global market leader in aerospace. Overall, the industry exports over 70 per cent of its output and invests 20 per cent in research and development. It also con- tributes over $25 billion to the Canadian economy in GDP and employs almost 215,000 Canadians. To compete on a global scale and grow the industry locally, a global perspective is required. The summit explored the global considerations – from challenges to op- portunities, strategies of other nations and talent – that the Canadian aerospace in- dustry must be aware of to stay ahead of the curve. New Chair As is customary, the selection of the new Chair of the Board of AIAC was announced during the Annual General Meeting held on November 12 by Jim Quick, President and CEO of AIAC. Keith Donaldson, Vice-President, APEX Inc., was selected to succeed the previous Chair, Pat Mann, President of Patlon Aircraft & Industries. "I'm honoured to hold this position at such a critical time for Canada's aerospace sector," said Donaldson. "AIAC's Vision 2025 initiative has started a new dialogue about how we can grow and secure Can- ada's future in the international aerospace sector. With the Vision recommendations, we have a tangible roadmap for the future. Let's get to work to ensure Vision 2025 becomes a reality." Vision 2025 is one of the initiatives that AIAC launched to help start a new dia- logue to protect Canadian jobs and secure the industry's future as an international aerospace champion. Vision 2025 Launched a year ago with the aim of en- gaging AIAC members, federal and pro- vincial governments, and the 200,000 plus aerospace employees across Canada, Vision 2025 resulted in a comprehensive report titled, Charting a New Course. The report outlines the industry's concerns and recommendations with six key priority areas that require increased collaboration between government and industry. These priorities are: 1. Building the most skilled and talented workforce in the world; 2. Ensuring small and medium-sized aerospace businesses thrive and grow; 3. Using innovation to capture new op- portunities, including carbon-neutral flight and unmanned vehicles; 4. Investing to maintain Canada's status as a world-class regulator; 5. Leveraging Canada's role at the fore- front of space; 6. Maximizing defence procurement and government partnerships to drive new industrial growth. The Honourable Jean Charest, Chair of Vision 2025, called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make structural changes to his Federal cabinet "to move the Vision 2025 plan forward." "If we are to ensure Canadian compa- nies and workers get our share of the $10 trillion aerospace market, it will require a focused effort by both government and industry to encourage, build and main- tain a skilled workforce. This goes hand in hand with promoting our sector on the world stage," said Charest. Awards Three leaders from the industry were rec- ognized for their achievement, innova- tion, and excellence in aerospace and were presented with AIAC annual awards: James C. Floyd Award – Presented to Marc Parent, CEO of CAE. Under Par- ent's leadership, CAE progressed from a company that was heavily in debt and lag- ging behind its competitors to a leading provider of aviation and healthcare train- ing services globally. Industry Excellence Award for Lifetime Achievement – John Saabas, former Presi- dent of Pratt & Whitney Canada. Under his administration, the company achieved a leadership position in all markets, with a portfolio of more than 64,000 engines in service and 13,000 customers worldwide. Industry Excellence Award for Small Business Innovation and Technology – Avior Integrated Products, a full-service manufacturer of lightweight structures and complex mechanical assemblies. The company has grown by 35 per cent in 2019 and is forecasting 20 per cent growth in 2020 in large part due to the benefits of transitioning to an Industry 4.0 business. "The winners of this year's awards are champions of Canadian aerospace whose vision and achievements have strength- ened the industry, making it more in- novative and competitive both in Cana- da and in the global marketplace," said Quick. More than 1,200 attendees including C- suite executives and government officials from Canadian and international compa- nies, government, and academia partici- pated in the two-day summit. The next Canadian Aerospace Summit will take place on November 3-4, 2020. Photos: Aerospace Industries Association of Canada

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