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Bombardier announced on Feb. 22 that it will invest a total of approximately $22 million over a three-year period into two major aerospace research projects: Aéro21 and the third phase of the SA²GE project.
Both projects will bring together large aerospace companies, SMEs, as well as local universities and research centres.
“Through this strong alliance between industry, government and researcher partners, we are proud to not only push the limits of technology and build greener, more efficient aircraft, but to also increase the competitiveness of the Québec aerospace industry,” said François Caza, chief technology officer, Bombardier Inc.
Aéro21 aims to facilitate the implementation of 21st century technologies in the Québec aerospace sector and is expected to generate $65 million of investments over three years. Twenty-four companies will be providing 75 per cent of the funds for Aéro21, including $18.75 million from Bombardier, and the Government of Québec will be investing the remaining 25 per cent. Bombardier’s participation will focus on expanding the use of computerized models to test various aircraft systems and components from the design phase through certification, in an effort to bring new aerospace products to market at a faster pace and reduce development costs.
SA²GE (Smart Affordable Green Efficient) was first launched in 2010 and is dedicated to developing smarter, more efficient and effective technologies, while reducing the environmental footprint of the aerospace industry. Four sub-projects were selected for the third phase of SA²GE, including one called AILE (Aile intelligente et légère pour l’environnement), which was proposed by Bombardier along with four other industry partners. The focus of this sub-project is to develop multi-functional wings for business and commercial aircraft that will optimize aerodynamics and weight to reduce cost and fuel consumption. Bombardier plans to invest $3.6 million in AILE, which will be matched by the Government of Québec.
With these investments, Bombardier reaffirms its leadership in the development of innovative aerospace technologies. The company was recognized as Canada’s top R&D investor by Research Infosource for investing approximately $12 billion over the past six years.
