Ontario to invest $15M to boost auto parts manufacturers
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Funds aimed at increasing competitiveness, developing innovative products
The investments will support research and development as well as new technology installations. PHOTO TRW Automotive
TORONTO—The government of Ontario is investing $15 million to boost the competitiveness of the province’s auto parts industry.
The funding will be directed toward two separate programs—one aimed at helping small auto suppliers adopt the latest technology, and one that will support auto industry research and development.
“To drive economic growth, Ontario businesses need to take their firms to the next level and embrace the technologies of tomorrow,” Brad Duguid, Ontario’s minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure,s aid. “By lowering the cost of doing business, helping more companies to scale up, and supporting innovation, we’ll produce global frontrunners that lead technological disruption and position Ontario to win the jobs and investments of the future.”
To support small auto parts companies, Ontario will direct $5 million toward the two-year Automotive Supplier Competitiveness Program. The province said the funds will go toward assisting businesses adapt to market changes and helping companies take advantage of emerging opportunities with larger manufacturers.
“We identified a gap, worked with this government to create the right vehicle to address it and are looking forward to working in partnership with them to deploy this critical modernization funding,” Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, said. “Small and medium-sized companies face increasingly mobile competition and this program allows for them to develop the tools required to compete most efficiently.”
The larger part of the $15 million investment, which was announced today at Dynaplas Ltd. in Scarborough, will go toward developing and commercializing new auto industry technologies. In partnership with the federal and Quebec governments, Ontario said it would commit $10 million to the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium. The research consortium supports research on a range of projects, including those working to developing lighter weight materials and autonomous software.
