Aerospace innovation and workforce: agreement between five colleges
Two CEGEPs and three college technology transfer centers (CCTTs) announced today, at the YMX Innovation Center in Mirabel, the signing of an agreement that will enable them to offer the aerospace and manufacturing industries a strengthened and coherent range of services to meet their needs in terms of applied research and innovation, as well as workforce skills development.
The Cégep de Saint-Jérôme, the Cégep Édouard-Montpetit and its École nationale d'aérotechnique (ÉNA), the Centre de développement des composites du Québec (CDCQ), the Centre technologique en aérospatiale (CTA), and the Institut du véhicule innovant (IVI) join forces to support the industry more effectively.
By signing this agreement, the five higher education institutions have established a solid, structured foundation that will facilitate the development of synergies based on the complementarity of their cutting-edge expertise. What's more, to promote joint projects and better meet the needs of industry, they could, for example, pool certain spaces and equipment or set up common tools. This partnership will help optimize investments in a more difficult economic climate.
From right to left, Janic Lauzon, General Manager of the Composites Development Centre of Quebec, Nadine Le Gal, General Manager of the Cégep de Saint-Jérôme, Hélène Bailleu, General Manager of the Cégep Édouard-Montpetit and the École nationale d'aérotechnique, Mélanie Lussier, President and CEO of Aéro Montréal, Frédéric Parent, General Manager of the Centre technologique en aérospatiale and Pier-Luc Laurin, General Manager of the Institut du véhicule innovant.
Fostering innovation
The three college technology transfer centers have joined forces to offer a wider range of innovation and applied research services. By working with one of these centers, a company will at the same time have access to the high-level expertise and resources of the others. In this way, the CCTTs will combine their strengths to develop optimal solutions for their customers, more quickly, more efficiently and more closely aligned with concrete business needs.
"Together, our three CCTTs combine powerful expertise in areas such as composite materials, industrial processes and automation, digital transformation including artificial intelligence, transport electrification, advanced mobility and much more. These crucial sectors will determine the future of our aerospace industry, which must innovate to remain competitive on an international scale. Our two CEGEPs intend to be their privileged partners in achieving this," emphasized Hélène Bailleu, Director General of Cégep Édouard-Montpetit and École nationale d'aérotechnique (ÉNA).
Developing workforce skills
The agreement also provides for Cégep de Saint-Jérôme and Cégep Édouard-Montpetit business services to combine their complementary expertise in order to offer businesses a broader, integrated and effective range of customized services for developing their employees' skills. Companies will benefit from improved continuity of service and training.
"Thanks to this agreement, companies in the aerospace innovation zone, including those in the Mirabel cluster, will have easy access to a wide range of customized services to develop the skills of their personnel. In this way, our two CEGEPs are demonstrating their determination to be the preferred partners of the aerospace industry, a sector in which the qualification and ongoing development of the workforce is a prerequisite for success," added Nadine Le Gal, General Manager of Cégep de Saint-Jérôme.