Grant: College and Community Innovation Program

The aerospace industry is vital to Canada. It contributed more than 211,000 value-added jobs to the economy in 2015. Canadian aerospace manufacturing was over 5X as R&D-intensive as the manufacturing sector average. Worldwide, 40% of all commercial airliners deploy landing gears made in Ontario. Even so, the industry faces challenges including: (a) developing innovative technologies; (b) overcoming barriers to technology uptake; and (c) training the workforce to support growth. To help Ontario's aerospace industry, our proposed research program uses an industry-led supply chain model to develop next generation landing gear technologies focused on jets primarily made in Canada. Bombardier Aerospace, Safran Landing Systems, and lower tier small/medium-sized firms will co-innovate to reduce barriers to technology uptake. They have the experience, expertise, facilities, relationships, and certifications to meet regulations globally and commercialize ensuing technology. Backed by provincial and federal governments, our College is also building a $70M aerospace campus at Toronto's Downsview Park, the former de Havilland factory. When open in Fall 2018, this campus will triple the current capacity of our aviation and aerospace training programs to address industry workforce growth and anticipated retirements. Our research program will provide direct experiential learning to more than 500 students. Dozens of first-generation learners and students facing barriers will acquire new skills to become highly qualified professionals ready for high quality, advanced manufacturing careers in an innovation-intensive industry. It will create the only publicly-accessible Landing Gear Innovation Laboratory, a competitive advantage to Canada. By incorporating electrification, light-weighting, and additive manufacturing, the next generation landing gear will reduce carbon footprints. Our proposal intersects with government, industry, and college priorities. It leverages existing investments and our impactful record to accelerate industry-led innovation while benefiting society and our planet.