The top five manufacturing stories from the first half of 2023

PHOTO: Getty Images/andresr

The 2023 calendar year has seen a number of big announcements in the manufacturing industry and Canadian Manufacturing was there to cover it. From news out of the Ont. government regarding electric vehicle manufacturing and the renewal of federal trade deals with the U.S. and Mexico, manufacturing continues to evolve in Canada.

Here were the top five stories that we covered, with economic implications for the rest of the year and beyond:

1. 1. Regional municipalities are on the hunt for manufacturing investments from large players. In the wake of the announcements from Stellantis and Volkswagen, both of which have pledged large investments in Ont., York and Durham region are travelling to trade shows across North America to fish for a manufacturer of their own.
      • York Region attended AutoTech: Detroit 2023 on Jun. 7 and 8 to meet with prospective partners, and Durham Region announced that it would be attending the Collision Conference from Jun. 26-29 in Toronto, Ont. alongside Project Arrow, Canada’s EV prototype, to showcase the capabilities of the Durham Region.
   2. 3D printing is exploring cleantech capabilities through carbon-captured 3D filament. While many manufacturers have swapped from a plastic spool to a 100% recycled cardboard spool to minimize waste, a Calgary company is taking this farther. Oco, a subsidiary of Carbon Upcycling, recently announced their capabilities in capturing carbon into a filament for 3D printing, and Peter Zhou, the Product Development Lead, says they are just getting started.
      • They also recently announced a collaboration with Adidas to create a CO2-embedded running shoe
   3. LAVA Computer is extending the battery life of devices through advanced manufacturing. LAVA’s platform, through RBM (Recovery Battery Modulation) is a way to “enable us to get about six years of operating life out of a lithium-ion battery,” said Rostyk Wynnyckyj, Co-Owner and Technical Sales Engineere.
   4. ProMat 2023 brought together global manufacturers for a trade show and networking event in Chicago, Ill. The event featured exhibits from more than 1,000 global manufacturers and supply chain companies, across 560,000 square feet, which is much larger than any previous in-person iteration. Advanced manufacturers such as OTTO Motors, were eager to release and showcase their new innovations, such as the company’s AMR 600, (a cobot capable of carrying up to 600kg).
      • Asian and other global manufacturers were well represented at ProMat, saturating a field of advanced robotics and technology companies vying to stand out in a crowded field.
   5. ventureLAB’s Future of Women in Tech highlighted remaining work to be done in semiconductor and advanced manufacturing in Canada. The event highlighted women in STEM who have advanced their careers, and the important work being done to help hire and promote more women into leadership positions.
      • The women were asked if they felt it was their responsibility to help more women advance their careers in the semiconductor industry and all of them seemed in agreement about what Amanada Woon Fat, R&D Manager – Synopsys, had to say. “I kind of push back on the responsibility piece,” says Amanda Woon Fat. “There’s clearly a problem, and I let others know, ‘do you want to make a difference in solving it?’ I try and remind everyone and let them know so it’s shared.”