Quebec government supports four mobilizing aerospace projects

MONTREAL — At Aéro Montréal’s Annual General Meeting, Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal Region, announced financial contributions totalling over $47.45 million to support four mobilizing projects in the Quebec aerospace industry.

These investments are intended to promote the development of new technologies related to the aircraft of tomorrow and sustainable mobility in aerospace. The event took place at the École nationale d’aérotechnique, attended by over 200 players from the Quebec aerospace industry.

The Quebec government confirmed its commitment to support responsible collaborative innovation. By supporting these four mobilizing projects, whose total investments are estimated at over $94.9 million, the Quebec government is enabling eight companies to combine their efforts to carry out projects for the development of products, technological solutions and innovative processes, while involving universities, public research centers and SMEs.

These projects were selected following a call for projects launched by the government in July 2022 to support the development of technologies related to the transportation of tomorrow.

“Quebec’s aerospace industry stands out for its ability to innovate, particularly in the area of sustainable mobility. Through these mobilizing projects, we are taking a step further toward making the aircraft of tomorrow a reality and thus reducing GHG emissions in Québec and internationally,” said, Minister Fitzgibbon.

Aquarel 3 Project – Les dirigeables Flying Whales Québec inc. and Thales Canada
Les dirigeables Flying Whales Quebec inc. and Thales Canada are partnering on the AQUAREL 3 project to develop the control systems that will be integrated into the Flying Whales airship, the LCA60T, an aircraft for point-to-point transport of heavy or bulky loads in remote or landlocked areas while minimizing the environmental footprint. This project will enable the two partners to develop an ultra-compact electric flight control system and connected avionics suite.

CADAQ-100 Project – Airbus Canada, Pratt & Whitney Canada and SAF+ Consortium
The CADAQ-100 mobilization project brings together three companies operating in Quebec, Airbus Canada, Pratt & Whitney Canada and SAF+ Consortium, with the aim of supporting utilization of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). The project will study and test multiple varieties of SAF, including in-flight testing of 100 per cent pure “unblended” SAF on the Airbus A220 aircraft propelled by Pratt & Whitney GTFMC engines, and e-SAF manufactured by the Power to Liquid (PtL) process, as developed by the SAF+ Consortium. The project will include economic feasibility studies for establishing a commercial SAF production plant in Québec, providing a local, sustainable facility to help decarbonize the aviation industry, which is the SAF+ Consortium’s ultimate aim.

CMC Electronics and Bell Textron Canada Ltd. Project
The proposal from the Bell Textron Canada Limited and CMC Electronics team includes the development of systems to perform autonomous hybrid electric-powered logistics missions. The goal of this project is to develop a portfolio of technologies to address energy efficiency, air traffic management system adaptability, and safety issues related to future autonomous aircraft.

CSAF Project – Bombardier and Thales Canada
The CSAF (Control System for the Aircraft of the Future) project, a collaboration between Bombardier and Thales Canada, Avionics, aims to create a control platform for tomorrow’s aircraft with a reduced environmental footprint. The project focuses on the development of a modular airborne systems testbed for new control architectures, to optimize weight, volume and power requirements on board and to enable new design approaches enhancing aircraft’s environmental performance.