Springboard Atlantic Assumes Regional Role For New Aerospace Research Program
April 16th, 2015
Springboard Atlantic Inc. will be the regional office for CARIC, the Consortium for Aerospace Research and Innovation in Canada. The new consortium will encourage early stage projects between industry and academia, advancing ideas and resolving issues for commercial development in the aerospace industry. Many project themes are covered under the CARIC program and should be of value for creating new industry-academic projects in the region.
Funding from CARIC will provide a Regional Manager Position focused on creating more linkages between industry and academics in Aerospace related industries in the region. The manager will work with the Springboard network to advance CARIC industry-academic projects. Springboard will work hand in hand with the Atlantic Alliance of Aerospace & Defence Associations (AAADA) in engaging with aerospace and related industries regionally, including holding events which promote the CARIC program.
“This is a natural fit for our organisation and we appreciate the opportunity to work with the AAADA and CARIC in order to advance early stage commercially relevant projects for aerospace from the Atlantic region”, said Chris Mathis, President and CEO of Springboard Atlantic, “The commercialization network is the perfect vehicle for increasing this kind of collaborative engagement within a sector, and we look forward to seeing local projects advanced as a result of working with CARIC.”
”We are happy to find a partner like Springboard to be in place and already engaged in this work of bringing industry and academia together for commercial benefit says Dr. Denis Faubert, President & CEO of CARIC. “We look forward to seeing projects come from the Atlantic region and applaud the collaboration with ourselves, Springboard and the AAADA.
“The AAADA congratulates Springboard on becoming the CARIC regional host, and we look forward to the resulting collaboration our corporate members will realize with Canadian institutions as they work together to engage in next generation competitive solutions for the aerospace industry. Glenn Copeland, Chair of the Alliance says, “We believe there are tremendous opportunities for industries in our region to participate in CARIC projects. Atlantic Canada will leverage its talent to be part of a national innovation and commercialization model.”
The Atlantic region is a global leader for fixed and rotary wing activity, from aircraft surveillance and transport operations in support of a wide range of defence and industry demands, to aircraft in-service maintenance support, to repair and overhaul. With approximately 330 aerospace and defense companies in the sector, and aerospace manufacturing and MRO at 7% and 11% respectively of regional GDP, Atlantic Canada is becoming synonymous across the world for its maritime aircraft industry. This is in part due to the Canadian military aircraft stationed at two bases in NS and global leaders like IMP Aerospace and Stelia Aerospace (formerly Composites Atlantic) located in the region, as well as new UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) solutions and support start-ups taking off, like Sky Squirrel Technologies Inc. (NS), Resson Aerospace (NB) and Agile Sensor Technologies (NF).
About Springboard Atlantic:
Springboard Atlantic is the commercialization network in Atlantic Canada dedicated to the commercial development of research discoveries and supporting industry competitiveness through collaborative access to faculty knowhow and capability at the post-secondary institutions. Springboard was founded in 2005 and comprises 18 member institutions from the region including 13 universities and 5 colleges. Springboard is a non-profit supported by ACOA’s Atlantic Innovation Fund and its member institutions.
About CARIC:
The Consortium for Aerospace Research and Innovation in Canada (CARIC) is a non-profit organization established with the Government of Canada’s financial support. Its mission is to facilitate collaboration of researchers from the aerospace industry, academia and research centres, and to launch initiatives whose primary purpose is to promote responsive, impactful R&D. – www.caric.aero
About AAADA:
The AAADA is a collaborative regional organization representing the interests of the Atlantic Canadian aerospace, defence, space and security industries. Working in partnership with industry members, provincial associations, government stakeholders and key partners, the AAADA facilitates strategic industry development on behalf of the region while promoting the Atlantic Canada brand locally, nationally and internationally.
Contact:
Springboard Atlantic Inc.
Chris Mathis, (902) 476-1641
cmathis@Springboardatlantic.ca