Feds dish out $4.2M to Winnipeg’s Composites Innovation Centre
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
Government said funding will help expand aerospace composites sector in Canada's west
WINNIPEG—The federal government is providing funding for a Winnipeg-based non-profit organization it says will help expand the aerospace composites sector in Canada’s west.
Announced by Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification Michelle Rempel, the $4.2-million in federal funding is heading to the Composites Innovation Centre (CIC) for the purchase of composites equipment and the hiring of specialized staff.
“By developing and promoting innovative composite technologies and products, the CIC is helping to advance key economic sectors—including aerospace, bio-composites and ground transportation—in Manitoba and across the West,” Rempel said in a statement.
The Western Economic Diversification department said the investment will provide research and development opportunities for Canadian companies, which could lead to the integration of new composites technology and manufacturing processes in the commercialization of innovative products.
Established in 2003, the CIC is a non-profit organization which focuses on industry-driven applied research and the development of industrial applications for advanced bio-composite materials.
“This (funding) allows the organization to fulfill its new mandate for providing leadership and innovation to the composites industry in Manitoba and western Canada, allowing our partners to advance to the forefront of new technology developments and, most importantly, integrate these advanced capabilities into their commercial operations,” CIC executive director Sean McKay said.
The funding was provided through the Western Diversification Program.
