Update from the Council of Canadian Innovators - 17 April 20

On the same subject

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  November 3, 2020 | Local, Aerospace

  Saab and Mitacs to grow Canadian innovation links

  The partnership establishes the means to drive innovation by providing Saab access to the precise Canadian postsecondary expertise and know-how required to advance their R&D activities in Canada. Mitacs will match highly qualified research experts from Canadian academic institutes to advance Saab's next generation technologies, and Saab will provide industry guidance and other in-kind resources, while both will share the financial cost to support these applied research and innovation internships. “Saab works closely with universities around the world in fostering the academic research that can ultimately end up at the heart of our long range radars that can see stealth aircraft or helping to deliver the benefits of digitalization into airports. The MoU with Mitacs gives us the chance to extend that approach to Canada's universities, and we look forward to exploring new technologies and areas of research across Canada,” said Jonas Hjelm, Senior vice-president and Saab's head of business area Aeronautics. At a macro level, participating students and the selected projects will boost innovation by advancing Saab's development agenda with wider economic benefits in job creation and further industrialization of the research. At the intern level, the work will facilitate skills development and work-integrated learning as together Saab and Mitacs advance the mutually beneficial goals. “Mitacs is proud to partner with Saab and connect them with talent to advance business goals through research and development. Canadian student researchers drive innovation and benefit from working with Saab and applying their skills to advance aviation technologies. We are grateful to the Government of Canada for investing in R&D,” said John Hepburn, CEO and scientific director, Mitacs. This MOU arises from Saab's Industrial and Technological Benefit commitments that Saab has made as part of its bid for the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP) and is subject to Saab's selection for that program. Saab has submitted an offer of 88 Gripen E fighters for the Canadian FFCP with a comprehensive ITB offer involving the Gripen for Canada Team (https://www.saab.com/markets/canada/gripen-for-canada) https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/saab-and-mitacs-to-grow-canadian-innovation-links/

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  November 11, 2017 | Local, Aerospace

  Canadian air chief looks to speed up up fighter buy

  DUBAI — Canada will kick start its competition for a future fighter jet in 2019 with the hopes of awarding a contract by 2021, but the head of the Royal Canadian Air Force wants the process to move as quickly as possible. “The plan right now is to have a request for proposal out to industry by 2019. we're in discussions and have been in discussions with a number of the people who are considering competing for that, and what I'd like to see is that accelerated as much as possible,” said RCAF commander Lt. Gen. Michael Hood, in an exclusive interview with Defense News. “A 2019 RFP would get us into contract probably by 2021, and certainly my advice to government is the sooner the better.” The RCAF wants to procure 88 fighter jets to replace its current inventory of aging 76 F/A-18 Hornets, which are nearing the end of their lifespans. Canada is an international participant in the F-35 joint strike fighter program and has helped pay for the development of the aircraft. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed not to procure the F-35 during his campaign, and his government has opened up the competition to industry instead of moving forward with a sole-source acquisition. The Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Boeing Super Hornet and Saab's Gripen E are all projected to compete for the opportunity. To bridge the gap between its Hornet fleet and a future fighter, the RCAF initially intended to procure 18 F/A-18 Super Hornets from Boeing — a move some analysts speculated could trigger a larger procurement later on. However, the Canadian government suspended the deal due to Boeing's legal complaint against Canadian aerospace company Bombardier over its commercial business. With a Super Hornet buy unlikely as long as Boeing and Bombardier feud, and Trudeau's promise not to buy the F-35, U.S. defense experts worry that Canada could be driven into the arms of a European fighter manufacturer, thus eroding Canada's long tradition of flying U.S. jets — a move that increases the militaries' interoperability. However, Hood stated that interoperability with the United States continues to be “the most important thing to me as command of the Royal Canadian Air Force.” “Every step less of interoperability is one step less of effectiveness, so interoperability is right at the top of the list beside operational advantage,” he said. “I want the young men and women that are going to be flying fighters into harm's way to have an operational advantage, and that will be key to me in the competition that's coming.” That need for interoperability with the U.S. Air Force does not diminish the chances of European fighters, he added. Canada continues to investigate alternative ways to acquire an interim fleet of F/A-18s, including potentially buying used Hornets from Australia. However, a potential deal for Super Hornets with Boeing is still on the table, Hood said. “I think the government has been presented with the FMS case for Boeing. And as they're looking at options, that's one option,” he said. “The Australian aircraft are another, and the government has not made a decision yet.” If the RCAF moves forward with a used Hornet buy from Australia, it will have to extend the lives of the airframes, which are meeting their structural ends, Hood noted. That business would likely go to L3 Technologies, which has done life extension work on the Canadian F/A-18s in the past. But Canada would still be able to acquire the aircraft “within the next couple of years” once a decision is made. Lockheed officials have said that if Canada ultimately decided not to procure the F-35, it could end its industrial partnership with Canadian firms — which totals 110 Canadian companies with $750 million in contracts, according to Lockheed — that already help manufacture the F-35. However, asked whether Canada was concerned about losing that business, Hood demurred. “I'm not privy to the industrial aspects of our partnership with Lockheed Martin,” he said. “What I can say is Lockheed Martin is a fantastic partner for Canada and for the Royal Canadian Air Force, has been for years. We remain very, very strongly engaged both in the joint project office and helping to continue with the development of the F-35, and Canadian companies continue to bid and win on contracts with that.” https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/dubai-air-show/2017/11/11/canadian-air-chief-the-sooner-the-better-on-fighter-acquisition/

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  December 12, 2024 | Local, Land

  Minister Blair congratulates successful Canadian innovators joining the 2025 NATO DIANA cohort

  The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) has announced the successful innovators in 2024’s competitive challenges. These firms – seven of whom are Canadian – will be joining NATO DIANA’s 2025 cohort of innovators. Challenges focused on several innovation areas in security and defence, including data and information security, critical infrastructure and logistics, and human health and performance.