Grant: Technology Access Centre

Today, Canadian manufacturers make up a significant portion of the countrys economy 10.5% and 1.7 million jobs, according to the Advisory Council on Economic Growth despite the shift from large companies of 500 or more employees to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME). In fact, according to Statistics Canada, 71% of manufacturers in 2016 had fewer than 20 employees. Manufacturing is a key economic sector in Southern Ontario. The Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (WAMIC) contributes to the building of a resilient regional economy in Niagara with SMEs in the manufacturing sector. Since its inception in 2014, our regional collaborative innovation model continues to achieve great success, providing industry partners access to advanced 3D technologies, equipment, services and expertise that would not typically be available to them due to financial or internal resource constraints. To further the great work already accomplished over these last 54 months and to accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing in the region, WAMIC wishes to renew the TAC for another 5 years, expanding its foundational offerings to include industrial automation, machine learning, robotics, sensors, and generative design. In doing so, WAMIC will continue to help build a strong labour pool and skilled workforce; accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies; foster innovation, commercialization and new product development; create a competitive business environment in the region, and beyond.