Space, Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing

In 2016 manufacturing in Canada accounted for 11% of our total national output; the sector employed 1.7 million Canadians.  Canadian manufactured goods represented $350 billion in exports in both 2015 and 2016 – or about 70% of Canada’s total exports.[1]

In 2015 Canada was the world’s 3rd most important country for global civil aircraft production activity, making $1.9 billion in investments in private sector research and development – five times the R & D intensity of Canada’s manufacturing sector average.  Canada’s space and aerospace industries employ approximately 250,000 Canadians.[2]

Canada has been a major player in space research and technology since the launch of Alouette 1 in 1962.  We were the third country to launch a satellite; the fourth to provide a commander of the International Space Station.  As population and living standards continue to rise on earth, the incentives and opportunities to pursue new forms of space exploration will multiply.

It is vital that Canada maintain a leading position across the board in advanced manufacturing, aerospace and space, especially in the era of robotics and automation, advanced materials, additive manufacturing, drones, driverless vehciles and new forms of private air and space flight.

As Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of Canada, I would:

(i)             promote the use of Canadian-made aircraft, vehicles, engines, ships, boats and rolling stock across Canada, including by the Government of Canada;

(ii)           aim to enhance Canada’s position as a world leader in the automotive and aerospace sectors (including avionics); information, communications and agri-food equipment manufacturing; advanced materials and manufacturing; robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, including by improving our skills pipeline for all forms of manufacturing activity;

(iii)          champion the manufacture in Canada of zero emissions and driverless vehicles and other advanced forms of automotive production;

(iv)          by smart regulation and innovative policy, seek to attract research, experimentation, testing, demonstration, pilot fabrication and manufacturing activity to Canada for automotive, aerospace, space, additives, materials, robotics, drone and other fields of advanced manufacturing; and

(v)           scale up Canada’s space programme to build on our national historic and strategic advantages in this emerging field, whose role in the global economy is set to grow.

[1] http://www.cme-mec.ca/?lid=JCKNC-E742G-1W6JA&comaction=show&cid=UM7US-D74XV-8M6TF

[2] http://aiac.ca/industry-statistics/