Canada opens world’s most advanced aerospace research centre
by CanadianManufacturing.com staff
Thompson, Man.: A $42-million research and testing facility for the aerospace industry has opened in northern Manitoba.
The Global Aerospace Centre for Icing and Environmental Research (GLACIER) will be used by Rolls-Royce to test its new Trent XWB engine for the Airbus A350 aircraft family.
Pratt & Whitney is also testing its Geared Turbofan – PurePower engine at the facility.
The National Research Council Canada (NRC) developed the engine icing equipment and controls for the facility, which was funded through a $13.4 million federal government investment and a nine-million-dollar loan from the Manitoba government. The aerospace industry picked up the rest of the tab.
The government said the research centre is the most advanced in the world, adding it will give Canada’s aerospace industry the ability to work on next generation aircraft and position them at the forefront of technology developments.
The facility also includes the Environmental Test, Research, and Education Center (EnviroTREC), a consortium of industry, NRC and academia that is researching gas turbine technology.
The centre expects to attract top international researchers and create a skilled workforce in northern Manitoba.
