Industry representatives meet with Canadian Army staff on clothing, equipment modernization

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  23 octobre 2020 | Local, Aérospatial

  Solaxis pourra augmenter sa cadence de production gr'ce à l’appui du gouvernement du Canada

  Développement économique Canada pour les régions du Québec accorde 650 000 dollars à l'entreprise de Bromont pour l'acquisition de matériel à la fine pointe de la technologie. Bromont, Québec, 23 octobre 2020 – Développement économique Canada pour les régions du Québec (DEC) Fondée en 2010, Solaxis Ingéniosité Manufacturière inc. se spécialise dans la fabrication additive (impression 3D) de pièces thermoplastiques d'ingénierie avancée. Ses principaux clients, situés au Canada et aux États-Unis, œuvrent dans les secteurs du transport terrestre, de l'aéronautique, de la défense et de la sécurité. Depuis peu, l'entreprise fabrique aussi des pièces médicales en lien avec la présente crise sanitaire. Solaxis s'est vu accorder une contribution remboursable de 650 000 dollars par DEC, tel qu'annoncé aujourd'hui par Élisabeth Brière, secrétaire parlementaire de la ministre du Développement économique et des Langues officielles (Agence de développement économique du Canada pour les régions du Québec) et Lyne Bessette, députée de Brome—Missisquoi. Gr'ce à ce financement, Solaxis pourra accroître sa capacité de production par l'acquisition d'équipement et de matériel informatique à la fine pointe de la technologie. En misant sur la numérisation et l'automatisation de ses procédés, qui passent notamment par l'impression 3D, Solaxis se positionne comme un joueur clé dans son domaine. L'entreprise vise à combler le vide qui existe dans l'industrie entre le prototypage de très bas volume et les procédés de formage avec outillage de grandes séries à haut volume. L'acquisition de technologies d'impression 3D ouvertes et innovantes lui permettra d'augmenter jusqu'à 25 fois sa cadence de production mensuelle. Les procédés avancés et les technologies de fabrication additive de pointe, tels que l'impression 3D, sont de plus en plus adoptés par les industries. L'utilisation de ces technologies contribue à l'implantation d'une fabrication centrée sur l'utilisateur. La crise de la COVID-19 a d'ailleurs encouragé bon nombre d'entreprises manufacturières à adopter ces procédés dans leurs activités de fabrication, contribuant à améliorer leur efficacité de production et ainsi mieux répondre aux besoins des marchés. Véritable moteur économique, l'innovation est la clé du succès puisqu'elle génère la croissance dont profitent les entreprises et les collectivités. Le gouvernement du Canada tient à appuyer les entreprises innovantes afin qu'elles puissent compter sur des ressources adéquates pour créer de nouveaux produits et les commercialiser, et ainsi contribuer à la création de bons emplois dans les régions du Québec. Citations « En soutenant Solaxis, le gouvernement du Canada permet à l'entreprise de se doter de l'équipement nécessaire au développement de technologies et de procédés novateurs. Les entreprises comme Solaxis, qui misent sur l'innovation, contribuent à améliorer et à relancer l'économie canadienne en cette période marquée par la rupture et le changement. » Élisabeth Brière, secrétaire parlementaire de la ministre du Développement économique et des Langues officielles (Agence de développement économique du Canada pour les régions du Québec) « Solaxis fait partie des entreprises qui misent sur l'implantation de technologies avant-gardistes pour créer davantage de richesse et maintenir des emplois de qualité à Bromont. C'est gr'ce au succès d'entreprises audacieuses et innovantes comme celle‑ci que nous pouvons assurer la prospérité économique de la région et de tout le Québec. » Lyne Bessette, députée de Brome—Missisquoi « En ces temps de crise sans précédent, nous sommes là pour appuyer les PME canadiennes et les travailleurs à s'adapter au contexte changeant. Développement économique Canada pour les régions du Québec soutient les entreprises qui misent sur l'innovation, moteurs de la relance économique. En appuyant Solaxis, notre objectif est de collaborer avec une entreprise qui crée de bons emplois en région et qui contribue à la compétitivité de notre économie canadienne. » L'honorable Mélanie Joly, députée d'Ahuntsic‑Cartierville, ministre du Développement économique et des Langues officielles et ministre responsable de DEC https://www.canada.ca/fr/developpement-economique-regions-quebec/nouvelles/2020/10/solaxis-pourra-augmenter-sa-cadence-de-production-grace-a-lappui-du-gouvernement-du-canada.html

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  10 septembre 2018 | Local, Terrestre

  Canada's arms deal with Saudi Arabia is shrinking

  The LAV sale is being scaled back. Critics want it killed completely. Murray Brewster · CBC News A Canadian defence contractor will be selling fewer armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia than originally planned, according to new documents obtained by CBC News. That could be a mixed blessing in light of the ongoing diplomatic dispute between the two countries, say human rights groups and a defence analyst. The scaled-back order — implemented before the Riyadh government erupted in fury over Canada's public criticism of Saudi Arabia's arrest of activists and froze new trade with Canada this summer — could make it politically less defensible for the Liberal government, which has argued it's in the country's business and economic interests to uphold the deal. The documents show General Dynamic Land Systems Canada, the London, Ont.-based manufacturer, was — as of spring last year — going to deliver only 742 of the modern LAV-6s, a reduction from the original 2014 deal. The initial order from the desert kingdom was for 928 vehicles, including 119 of the heavy assault variety equipped with 105 millimetre cannons. Details of the agreement have long been kept under a cloak of secrecy. General Dynamic Land Systems, the Canadian Commercial Corporation (the Crown corporation which brokered the deal) and the Saudi government have all refused to acknowledge the specifics, other than the roughly $15 billion price tag. Last spring, CBC News obtained copies of internal documents and a slide deck presentation from 2014 outlining the original agreement. The latest internal company documents obtained by CBC News are dated March 29, 2017, and indicate the agreement had been amended a few months prior, perhaps in the latter half of 2016. The documents also indicate delivery of the vehicles is already underway and has been for months. CBC News asked for a response from both Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland's office and General Dynamics Land Systems Canada. Both declined comment over the weekend.. A cash-strapped kingdom A defence analyst said the amended order likely has more to do with the current state of Saudi Arabia's finances than its frustration over Canada's human rights criticism. "Saudi Arabia — in part because of low oil prices and in part because of corruption and mismanagement of its own economy — has a large budget deficit," said Thomas Juneau, a University of Ottawa assistant professor and former National Defence analyst. "Spending $15 billion over a number of years for armoured vehicles that it doesn't need that much, at least in a pressing sense, is an easier target for budget cuts, for sure." The kingdom has projected a budget deficit of $52 billion US this year and the country's finance minister said last spring it is on track to cut spending by seven per cent. When it was signed, the armoured vehicle deal was a way for Canada to cement relations with an important strategic partner in the region, said Juneau. Should Ottawa cancel the sale? He said he wonders if it's still worthwhile, in light of the furious diplomatic row that began over the Canadian government's tweeted expressions of concern for jailed activists — and quickly escalated with the expulsion of Canada's ambassador, the freezing of trade, the cancellation of grain shipments and the withdrawal of Saudi medical students from Canadian programs. "Now, with the dust not really having settled after the dispute from August, is that partnership, in abstract terms, still necessary? I think it is. But is it still possible?" said Juneau. Human rights groups say they believe there is even more reason for Ottawa to walk away from the deal now, given the events of this summer and the declining economic benefit. "We're compromising our position on human rights for even less than we thought," said Cesar Jaramillo, the executive director of Project Ploughshares, which has opposed the agreement from the outset. "Even if it's not a huge decrease, it is still a decrease. It should, at least in political and economic terms, make it easier for the Trudeau government to reconsider this deal, especially in terms of the latest diplomatic spat." Full article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-s-arms-deal-with-saudi-arabia-is-shrinking-1.4815571

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  11 juin 2019 | Local, Aérospatial, Sécurité

  Bidding criteria for Canada's $19B fighter jet competition will emphasize strategic attack and ground-strike capabilities — seeming to favour the F-35

  David Pugliese The criteria that will govern the selection of the winning bid to provide Canada's next fleet of fighter jets will prioritize strategic attack and foreign ground-strike capabilities, according to government documents obtained by Postmedia — guidelines that are seen to favour Lockheed Martin's controversial F-35. In 2010 the Conservative government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper selected the F-35 to replace the Canadian Forces' aging CF-18s, but later abandoned the plan after concerns about the technology used for the plane and its growing cost. During the 2015 election campaign Justin Trudeau promised that a Liberal government would not purchase the F-35, at the same time vowing to hold an open competition for the purchase of the country's new jet. Once in office, however, the Liberals backed away from their promise to freeze out the F-35 and the aircraft is now seen as a front-runner in the upcoming competition, with many supporters in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Though the Liberal government has highlighted the need to buy new jets to protect Canadian airspace and meet the country's commitments to NORAD, the procurement criteria obtained by Postmedia, currently in draft form, indicate the bidding process will assign additional weight to aircraft that excel at ground attack for overseas operations. Those criteria are seen to favour Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jet, say industry representatives allied with Lockheed's rivals in the upcoming $19-billion competition. The evaluation criteria also place less emphasis on sustainability — something else that may play to the advantage of the F-35, which has been dogged by high maintenance bills. But Pat Finn, the Department of National Defence's procurement chief, says there is such a wide variety of requirements to meet in the competition that while some aircraft might be seen to do well in some areas, they may not excel in others. “Somebody may be better in a high-end scenario but they're worst for cost,” Finn explained. “That's why we say it's the whole piece” that will be considered in the competition. At this point four aircraft are expected to be considered: two U.S.-built aircraft, the F-35, and the Super Hornet, and two European planes, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Gripen. Finn said bidding companies must meet mandatory requirements when it comes to long-term sustainment of the planes. But industry representatives, both from Lockheed Martin rivals and those not directly involved in the competition, point out that beyond the mandatory requirements there is little emphasis on the important area of long-term maintenance and sutainability. So a company with an aircraft that costs relatively little to maintain won't get that recognition in the competition, they claimed. Finn said discussions are still ongoing with various companies and their feedback is being assessed. The request for proposals, which will outlined the final requirements for the aircraft, is expected to be released around mid-July, he added. Royal Canadian Air force commander Lt.-Gen. Al Meinzinger said key capabilities for a new plane are survivability and having an operational advantage. “We are very confident we are actually meeting the requirements of NATO and NORAD,” he said, pointing to the requirements for the new aircraft. “Both of those missions are well represented.” Canada already changed some of the industrial benefits criteria of the competition in May to satisfy concerns from the U.S. government that the F-35 would be penalized or couldn't be considered because of how that program was set up. U.S. officials had warned that the F-35 development agreement Canada signed years ago prohibits partner nations from imposing requirements for industrial benefits. Under the F-35 agreement, partner nations such as Canada are prohibited from demanding domestic companies receive contracts for work on the fighter jet, those companies instead having to compete for work. Over the last 12 years, Canadian firms have earned more than $1.3 billion in contracts to build F-35 parts. The changes made in May would now allow some of those F-35 contracts to be considered when weighing the industrial benefits offered by the planes. The winning bidder will build 88 jets for Canada, and the first delivery is expected in the mid-2020s with the full capability available in the early 2030s, according to documents produced by the Department of National Defence. https://nationalpost.com/news/bidding-criteria-for-canadas-19b-fighter-jet-competition-will-emphasize-strategic-attack-and-ground-strike-capabilities-seeming-to-favour-the-f-35