Feds loan Pratt and Whitney $330M for $1B R&D
by CanadianManufacturing.com Staff
Pratt & Whitney Canada will invest more than $1 billion in research and development over the next five years to develop high-performance aircraft engines.
Mississauga, Ont—Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) will invest more than $1 billion in research and development over the next five years to develop high-performance aircraft engines.
The investment includes a $300-million repayable loan from the federal government under the Strategic Aerospace and Defense Initiative (SADI) program.
Company president John Saabas says P&WC is recruiting more than 200 engineers to support the development programs, bringing the engineering workforce to more than 1,500 in Canada.
“This major investment will enable us to sustain our engineering centres of excellence in Ontario and Quebec and reinforce our position as a leader in the global aerospace industry,” said Saabas.
“The Harper Government is pleased to support the world-class work being done by Pratt & Whitney Canada,” said Tony Clement, Minister of Industry. “The project we are investing in today will create or maintain Canadian research jobs, encourage public and private partnerships, and keep Canada at the forefront of the international aerospace industry.”
Clement says the $1-billion project will create more than 700 jobs during the work phase and more than 2,000 jobs during the 15-year benefits phase.
The project’s research and development work will take place in Longueuil, Que., and Mississauga, Ont.
Advanced propulsion technologies
P&WC is aiming to improve the environmental performance of its engines, including reduced fuel consumption, lower emissions and less noise. These technologies will be used in new turbofan, turboprop and turboshaft engines for business and regional jets and helicopters.
“Our latest research programs include cutting-edge materials such as composites and advanced alloys to improve engine weight, high-efficiency compressor technology to enhance engine performance and reduce fuel consumption, and further improvements of our TALON combustion system to further reduce engine emissions,” said Benoît Brossoit, senior vice-president of global operations at P&WC.
Canadian presence
P&WC has facilities in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia employing more than 6,200 people, including highly skilled engineers at its R&D facilities in Ontario and Quebec. Every second, a Pratt & Whitney Canada-powered aircraft takes off or lands somewhere in the world.
With files from the Canadian Press
PHOTO: Pratt & Whitney Canada
