Contrat d’achat des F-35 | Les négociations entre Ottawa et Lockheed Martin sur le point d’aboutir

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  October 12, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, Security

  Vancouver Island company to advance aerospace innovation and firefighting technology

  Investment helps create up to 15 new high-value, local jobs and global opportunities PORT ALBERNI, BC, Oct. 11, 2018 /CNW/ - Canadians will benefit from a stronger aerospace industry and better aerial firefighting technology thanks in part to a new investment in a British Columbian firm specializing in firefighting aircraft. Today the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Minister of Accessibility and Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Federal Recovery Efforts for the 2017 and 2018 British Columbia Wildfires, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced a repayable investment of nearly $3.4 million in Coulson Aircrane Ltd., a small aviation company based in Port Alberni, British Columbia. This investment helps create good middle-class jobs and strengthens Coulson's position in the aerospace supply chain. The project will facilitate collaboration with post-secondary institutions, ensure workers have the skills they need and generate new Canadian intellectual property. This funding supports Coulson's first-of-its-kind research and development (R&D) initiative to convert a Boeing 737 plane into a dual-purpose aerial firefighting tanker / passenger aircraft that can be used to fight fires in Canada and elsewhere. This investment is being made through the Strategic Innovation Fund, a program designed to attract and support high-quality business investments across all sectors of the economy by encouraging R&D that will accelerate the transfer of technology and the commercialization of innovative products, processes and services and will facilitate the growth of innovative firms. Quotes "Our government's support for Coulson Aircrane demonstrates our commitment to Canada's aerospace industry—a major engine of innovation and a key contributor of well-paying jobs to the national economy. By investing in innovative projects like this one at Coulson, we're creating new opportunities for Canadians from coast to coast. That's how, through the Strategic Innovation Fund, we're investing in innovation today to create the jobs of tomorrow." – The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development "Innovative companies such as Coulson Aircrane are a key part of our government's plan to grow the economy and create well-paying middle-class jobs for British Columbians. As a world leader in aerial firefighting, Coulson is a testament to the kind of quality work that this region is capable of—and the quality talent that is right here in British Columbia. The development of this innovative technology will better protect our forests from wildfire damage and increase efficiency by providing the ability to deliver both fire retardant and fire-fighting personnel at the same time. This is a great demonstration of how Canada can lead in the technology economy.." – The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement "Coulson Aviation is appreciative of Minister Qualtrough's announcement of Government of Canada support for innovation in Canada. This investment has been instrumental in our company's conversion of airliners into tankers for fighting fires as well as carrying passengers. Extensive aircraft modifications took place here at the Port Alberni airport, involving 140,000 hours of work in the community. We are proud that the newly completed air tankers will begin fighting forest fires globally this fall and that we are currently converting another airliner." – Wayne Coulson, CEO, Coulson Group Quick facts Coulson Aircrane is a family-owned company and a key player in the aerial firefighting business. The company works with firefighting agencies in Canada, the United States and Australia. Canada's aerospace industry includes 700 firms, directly contributes close to $12.6 billion in GDP to Canada'seconomy and employs more than 85,000 Canadians. The Strategic Innovation Fund is a flexible program that reflects the diversity of innovation in all sectors of the economy. In addition to the Strategic Innovation Fund, there are hundreds of programs and services to help businesses innovate, create jobs and grow Canada's economy. With a simple, story-based user interface, the Innovation Canadaplatform can match businesses with the most fitting programs and services in about two minutes. Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on Twitter: @ISED_CA SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada For further information: Nilani Logeswaran, A/Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, 613-668-1794; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/vancouver-island-company-to-advance-aerospace-innovation-and-firefighting-technology-696990951.html

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  September 6, 2018 | Local, Naval

  Will a sixth Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship be built for the Royal Canadian Navy?

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN There is still no word on whether the Royal Canadian Navy will receive a sixth Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship. Irving Shipbuilding is building five AOPS. There is the possibility of building a sixth ship if costs are kept in line and that vessel could be constructed within the project budget. It is unclear if the financial state of the project would allow for a sixth vessel or whether the federal government would have to contribute more funding to allow for the construction of an additional AOPS. Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough has said she is open to the idea of additional AOPS being purchased for Canada but has provided few details. It is expected a decision on the sixth ship will be made in the coming months. “We are hopeful that the Government of Canada will construct a sixth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship at Halifax Shipyard and understand they will make a decision before the end of 2018.” Irving spokesman Sean Lewis told Defence Watch. As reported in Defence Watch recently the first AOPS will be delivered in the first week of October. There is a possibility one of the government politicians attending that ceremony might make an announcement then of the construction of a sixth ship. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/will-a-sixth-arctic-offshore-patrol-ship-be-built-for-the-royal-canadian-navy

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  August 28, 2018 | Local, Aerospace

  Airbus aggressively sourcing more Canadian content

  by Chris Thatcher When Tom Enders, then the chief executive officer of Airbus, announced in October 2017 that Canada would become the company's fifth home country and first outside of Europe, following a deal with Bombardier to acquire a majority stake in the C Series passenger jet, small- and medium-sized Canadian aerospace companies had reason to be optimistic. Canada has typically ranked eighth or ninth among Airbus suppliers. But with the C Series now firmly under the Airbus tent (it was renamed the A220 in July), a contract award in 2016 to provide the Royal Canadian Air Force with 16 C295W fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) aircraft, and looming competitions for a future fighter jet and strategic tanker and transport aircraft, Airbus is aggressively sourcing more Canadian content. Before you make your pitch, however, Ruben Tauste Caro, responsible for Airbus's strategic procurement in North America, has a few words of advice: no bashing the competition, no me-too products, and go easy on the wonders of your new shop floor machinery. “I want you to tell me that you work in a very, very dedicated frequency. And in that frequency, I want you to tell me that you are the expert in a very specific niche. Then you've got me,” he told the Abbotsford Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo in August. Airbus routinely conducts in-person assessments of its prospective suppliers and, while cost, quality, and on-time production are obvious baseline requirements, what interests Tauste Caro are signs of continuous improvement and true innovation. He said companies that claim to build a better mouse trap or be a one-stop shop for all his supply needs are quickly dismissed. “Tell me what you are really, really good at, and if I have an opportunity in the future, that will be yours,” he said. Continuous improvement need not involve large investments. A dashboard with measurable targets will suffice if it clearly shows progress, said Tauste Caro. “Show me your KPIs [key performance indicators]. If you don't [meet] a target that month, do you have an action behind it?” A clear ability to set and reach targets is important, he emphasized, because if there is ever an issue with product quality, “The question is, will you overcome that issue? Do you have the right procedures, the right way of working? Is your workforce engaged?” That's why he also asks questions about innovation. Most companies have a tendency to highlight their shop floor. While new machines and robotics are important, he always looks beyond to the people operating them. “Innovation is people,” he said. “{They] are the key parameters in the innovation equation...[D]on't waste time on machines, tell me your way of working.” In particular, how do ideas move from the shop floor to the C-suite? For suppliers eyeing opportunities with Airbus's commercial aircraft production, an ability to ramp up production and deliver at high rates is critical. “This is extremely important,” he stressed. “We cannot afford to have one aircraft system stopped in the warehouse.” Tauste Caro heads a small four-person team responsible for supplier identification and development throughout North America, so he encouraged companies to call or “knock on the door,” to keep him apprised of product changes, expansion plans, new strategies, and contract awards. “Feed me with that information. That is the daily bread and butter of my job within strategic procurement,” he said, explaining that if he's asked to recommend a supplier, “I have to be able to answer right away.” While ramp-up of A220 production this year and delivery of the first FWSAR aircraft in 2019 might mean more opportunities for Canadian suppliers, Airbus is particularly focused on the value proposition it can offer in a future fighter jet and air-to-air refuelling aircraft competition. “We need to work with you right now,” he told executives at the Abbotsford trade show, to identify industrial and technological benefits (ITBs) proposals for both programs and meet FWSAR obligations. There is a “huge requirement” for ITBs within the fighter jet program, he noted. “We need to be creative, we need the suppliers.” https://www.skiesmag.com/news/airbus-aggressively-sourcing-more-canadian-content