Vanguard Magazine

aerospace industry has a real opportunity to contribute to Canada's economic recovery. As the industry moves towards this re- covery, emerging technologies bode well for the future. Especially considering that Canadian aerospace has always been a future-facing industry with world-leading inventions like the Canadarm, still used in space and revolutionizing advanced manu- facturing around the world. The greening of aviation, the rise of com- mercial space activity, and unmanned aerial systems, are just a few of the opportuni- ties that lay ahead. However, the support of policy makers is imperative to industry's efforts to capitalize on them. Because of the singular and strategic nature of aerospace and the broad appli- cations of its technological advancements, in every aerospace nation, the industry has always depended on a close partnership with government. We need only look to the United Kingdom to see how a shared vision between industry and government – and a clear strategy – can support growth and jobs. In 2010, the Aerospace Growth Partner- ship (AGP) was established as a strategic partnership between the UK Government, industry, and other key stakeholders, to se- cure the future of the UK aerospace indus- try. As a result, the UK aerospace industry saw incredible gains. Canada does not need to reinvent the wheel, we have examples internationally and we have a roadmap for a strategy here in Canada that began when AIAC launched the Vision 2025 initiative that includes clear and achievable recom- mendations including: • Increasing support for the world's most skilled workforce; • Ensuring small and medium-sized aero- space businesses thrive and grow; • Using innovation to capture new oppor- tunities including carbon neutral flight & unmanned vehicles; • Investing to maintain Transport Cana- da's internationally recognized status for aircraft certification and regulation; • Maximizing Canada's leadership at the forefront of space; and • Maximizing defence procurement and government partnerships to drive new industrial growth. It was through industry-government part- nership and commitment over the past 80 years that Canada rose to fifth among aero- space nations. Today, we rank ninth. And The question we put to all parties is simple, is Canada prepared to ensure our world-leading legacy in aerospace is preserved for future generations? If the answer is yes, Canada needs a national aerospace strategy that looks to 2050, defines our role in the global marketplace, and sets out a clear roadmap. www.vanguardcanada.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021 29 AEROSPACE manufacturers can innovate and help grow our national economy to contribute to stronger communities across the country and strong exports around the world. Eighty years ago, in a visionary act of nation-building, our political and industry leaders decided to make Canada an aero- space nation. That partnership paid huge returns as Canada grew to become the 5th largest aerospace industry in the world, responsible for supporting 235,000 jobs in every region of the country. Failing to prioritize Canada's pursuit of leadership in aerospace, ignores several realities. First, unlike most other industries, the strategic, export-intensive nature of Cana- dian aerospace positions it to be a major driver of Canada's overall post COVID19 economic recovery. Second, all of the other countries with which Canada competes have strong, government-industry partnerships and are implementing national sector plans. Finally, significant effort has built up Canada's aerospace legacy and hundreds of thousands of jobs in every region of the country are dependent on its contin- ued success. Every other top aerospace nation - including the United States, the UK, France, Germany, and Australia - is looking to the future, implementing sector and industrial strategies to compete and win in the emerging multi-trillion-dollar cleantech aerospace market. Canada needs to move now with its own strategy if we are to keep our Canadian jobs and industry strong for the future. COVID's impact on aerospace and de- fense was immediate and profound; air- craft were parked, there were disruptions in production lines, financing challenges for small- and medium-sized businesses, and MRO slowed right down. However, a full recovery is within reach and the Canadian

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