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Martijn Rasser There's no question the post-corona world will be very different. How it will look depends on actions the world's leaders take. Decisions made in coming months will determine whether we see a renewed commitment to a rules-based international order, or a fragmented world increasingly dominated by authoritarianism. Whomever steps up to lead will drive the outcome. China seeks the mantle of global leadership. Beijing is exploiting the global leadership vacuum, the fissures between the United States and its allies, and the growing strain on European unity. The Chinese Communist Party has aggressively pushed a narrative of acting swiftly and decisively to contain the virus, building goodwill through ‘mask diplomacy', and sowing doubts about the virus' origin to deflect blame for the magnitude of the crisis and to rewrite history. Even though the results so far are mixed, the absence of the United States on the global stage provides Beijing with good momentum. Before the pandemic, the world's democracies already faced their gravest challenge in decades: the shift of economic power to illiberal states. By late 2019, autocratic regimes accounted for a larger share of global GDP than democracies for the first time since 1900. As former U.K. foreign secretary David Miliband recently observed, “liberal democracy is in retreat.” How the United States and like-minded partners respond post-pandemic will determine if that trend holds. There is urgency to act — the problem is now even more acute. The countries that figure out how to quickly restart and rebuild their economies post-pandemic will set the course for the 21st century. It is not only economic heft that is of concern: political power and military might go hand in hand with economic dominance. At the center of this geostrategic and economic competition are technologies — artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, and 5G — that will be the backbone of the 21st century economy. Leadership and ongoing innovation in these areas will confer critical economic, political, and military power, and the opportunity to shape global norms and values. The pre-crisis trajectory of waning clout in technology development, standards-setting, and proliferation posed an unacceptable and avoidable challenge to the interests of the world's leading liberal-democratic states. The current crisis accentuates this even more: it lays bare the need to rethink and restructure global supply chains; the imperative of ensuring telecommunication networks are secure, robust, and resilient; the ability to surge production of critical materiel, and the need to deter and counteract destructive disinformation. This is difficult and costly — and it is best done in concert. Bold action is needed to set a new course that enhances the ability of the world's democracies to out-compete increasingly capable illiberal states. The growing clout of authoritarian regimes is not rooted in better strategy or more effective statecraft. Rather, it lies in the fractious and complacent nature of the world's democracies and leading technology powers. In response, a new multilateral effort — an alliance framework — is needed to reverse these trends. The world's technology and democracy leaders — the G7 members and countries like Australia, the Netherlands, and South Korea — should join forces to tackle matters of technology policy. The purpose of this initiative is three-fold: one, regain the initiative in the global technology competition through strengthened cooperation between like-minded countries; two, protect and preserve key areas of competitive technological advantage; and three, promote collective norms and values around the use of emerging technologies. Such cooperation is vital to effectively deal with the hardest geopolitical issues that increasingly center on technology, from competing economically to building deterrence to combating disinformation. This group should not be an exclusive club: it should also work with countries like Finland and Sweden to align policies on telecommunications; Estonia, Israel, and New Zealand for cyber issues; and states around the world to craft efforts to counter the proliferation of Chinese surveillance technology and offer sound alternatives to infrastructure development, raw material extraction, and loans from China that erode their sovereignty. The spectrum of scale and ambition this alliance can tackle is broad. Better information sharing would yield benefits on matters like investment screening, counterespionage, and fighting disinformation. Investments in new semiconductor fabs could create more secure and diverse supply chains. A concerted effort to promote open architecture in 5G could usher in a paradigm shift for an entire industry. Collaboration will also be essential to avoiding another pandemic calamity. Similar ideas are percolating among current and former government leaders in capitals such as Tokyo, Berlin, London, and Washington, with thought leaders like Jared Cohen and Anja Manuel, and in think tanks around the world. The task at hand is to collate these ideas, find the common ground, and devise an executable plan. This requires tackling issues like organizational structure, governance, and institutionalization. It also requires making sure that stakeholders from government, industry, and civil society from around the world provide input to make the alliance framework realistic and successful. No one country can expect to achieve its full potential by going it alone, not even the United States. An alliance framework for technology policy is the best way to ensure that the world's democracies can effectively compete economically, politically, and militarily in the 21st century. The links between the world's leading democracies remain strong despite the challenges of the current crisis. These relationships are an enduring and critical advantage that no autocratic country can match. It is time to capitalize on these strengths, retake the initiative, and shape the post-corona world. Martijn Rasser is a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. https://www.c4isrnet.com/opinion/2020/04/14/technology-alliances-will-help-shape-our-post-pandemic-future/

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and the government reacted to help businesses across the spectrum in Canada, startups and pre-startups are struggling to find adequate support. The Federal and provincial governments have slowly gained respect for their reaction to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Their original programs, criticized for being unfocused and insufficient, have given way to the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) programs that provide support to both laid-off employees and to companies that have lost revenue due to the crisis. The Wage Subsidy covers 75% of wages for many companies that have lost a certain percentage of revenue, which used to be 30% but has been revised to 15% recently. Coupled with governmental lending programs, this is a welcome change that is helping to prevent business closures and layoffs at many Canadian companies. There is still a gap in the programs however: Startups and pre-startups. This is a segment of the ecosystem that can't be ignored. Startups and pre-startups are important to the country's innovation engine. The Wage Subsidy formula, significantly, is based on a percentage of revenue. For most startup businesses that are still in the growth stage, there's little-to-no revenue to be lost. They have expenses, contracts, suppliers, and most especially employees, just like any other company but they're paying for those things using investment money, debt, and even founders' savings. We learned from several startups that are graduates from the Creative Destruction Labs' inaugural space stream, that can be a big problem. SpaceQ spoke with Reaction Dynamics' founder and CEO, Bachar Elzein, about the problem. He said that this is a serous danger for Canadian startups. They can't show lost revenue because they didn't have revenue, but the process of acquiring and retaining investors has become quite a bit more complex in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Going to meetings with investors is nearly impossible, and investors are skittish thanks to the economic uncertainty in most of the world's economy right now. Getting new investment is unlikely at best. Debt is a problem too. Elzein said that lenders — including federal and provincial lenders — want to see a variety of assets: revenue, materials, contracted sales, equity, and anything else that can be used to pay off the debt. Some new businesses can proffer these things — but technology-focused startups' greatest asset is their people and their technology, and that may not be easily expressed in ways that will satisfy lenders. Elzein had looked into lenders, but even provincial and federal lenders seem to be reluctant to help companies like Reaction Dynamics, despite their heavily-promoted emergency lending programs. Elzein recognizes that Reaction Dynamics is better off than most. While acquiring new investors is challenging, their existing investors have been supportive. Elzein said that “we can't thank our investors enough” for their assistance, which has helped keep Reaction Dynamics going. The Canadian Space Agency has also been of great help, working with Reaction Dynamics to ensure that they get grant money as quickly and efficiently as possible. They've retained all of their team, and they've been productive: while rocket testing is difficult-to-impossible right now, other tasks can be done (and are being done) from home. The company is also pivoting to activities that will help with the current pandemic. Reaction Dynamics will be shifting its production capacity towards producing face shields and medical equipment. With Montreal emerging as a key centre in Canada for fighting the coronavirus, Elzein and his team want to do whatever they can to help. They've been gratified to learn that, in Elzein's words, “working with rockets has helped us work with hospitals”, and the revenues from these activities will help them going forward. But Elzein recognizes that other companies haven't been so fortunate. He knows that other companies in the industry haven't been so fortunate, and have followed once-promising space pioneers like OneWeb in having to go into bankruptcy. He calls on the federal government to close this wage support gap, believing that “the banks should be more lenient about these debts”. SpaceRyde founder Saharnaz Safari agreed. In a statement to SpaceQ said that “even though SpaceRyde has brought direct foreign investment to Canada and has created full-time jobs for Canadian engineers, our company does not qualify for CEWS”, and that “the economic situation has made us re-visit our growth and hiring plans for this year.” It is possible, even likely that these programs will change. The situation is dynamic, and the government is hurrying to replace non-viable support programs with ones that better suit the situation on the ground. But, for now, startups like Reaction Dynamics will have to do what they can to survive, and hope that after the crisis is over, they'll be able to continue where they left off. Another issue which affects a lot of businesses including startups, is the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax incentives. The government has been slow to provide refunds. In an open letter to the Prime Minister and the government, the CATA Alliance called on the government to “immediately release the $200 million in filed and backlogged Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) claims.” With files from Marc Boucher. https://spaceq.ca/canadian-space-startups-fight-to-survive-during-covid-19-pandem/

Manfred Hader SENIOR PARTNER, CO-HEAD OF GLOBAL AEROSPACE & DEFENCE PRACTICE Hamburg Office, Central Europe +49 40 37631-4327 Plunge in air traffic will deeply impact demand for new aircraft The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to trigger a global economic crisis of significant dimensions, affecting all industries. One of the industry sectors in the eye of the coronavirus storm is aerospace. Global air traffic has been brought to an almost complete standstill by the COVID-19 outbreak. While air traffic has consistently shown a solid recovery from previous crises, the debate is wide open about how traffic will recover following the current crisis and what this will mean for the civil aircraft manufacturing industry, the supply chain and aftermarket support businesses. Previous crises like 9/11, SARS or the financial crisis of 2008/09 all demonstrated a recovery along V- or U-shaped curves back to the pre-crisis growth path. As COVID-19 is a fully global crisis of unprecedented magnitude, we need to consider whether we might see an L-shaped recovery with consistently lower levels of air traffic and permanently slower growth after the crisis. The debate is fueled by two questions for which there is no real precedent to extrapolate from but which could be transformational for the industry: What is the magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis, and will it change the way we perceive air transport? Will the crisis highlight obsolete industry structures and cause the bubble of huge aircraft orderbooks to burst? This article discusses three key questions: 1. How deep will the crisis be for aviation, and how long will it last? We examine different scenarios for global air traffic development in the coming years. 2. What will be the impact on the aerospace industry? We derive the impact of these scenarios on the demand for new aircraft and MRO (maintenance, repair and operations). 3. What needs to be done to manage the crisis? We discuss what the aerospace industry could look like in a post-COVID-19 world and what measures need to be taken to mitigate risks and capture opportunities. 1. How deep will the crisis be and how long will it last? The magnitude of the air traffic crisis can be characterized by four key indicators: The longer the restrictions last, the more airlines will run out of liquidity, leading to bankruptcies, nationalizations or consolidation, hence causing an irreparable change in the industry landscape and customer structure for aircraft manufacturers. Moreover, the longer the restrictions last, the greater the possibility that temporary behavioral changes imposed by the pandemic may become permanent (e.g. reduction of business travel as a result of increased digital communication). Once the air travel restrictions are lifted, the time to recovery will be impacted by potential new outbreaks of the disease, leading to recurrent waves of further travel restrictions and hence fluctuating travel volume at lower levels. The combination of a long duration of travel restrictions and repeated outbreaks over an extended period of time might lead to a "new normal", with global air traffic volumes settling at a lower level – an effect that has never occurred before in the history of commercial aviation. The combination of a long duration of travel restrictions and repeated outbreaks over an extended period of time might lead to a "new normal", with global air traffic volumes settling at a lower level – an effect that has never occurred before in the history of commercial aviation. 3. What needs to be done to manage the crisis? It can already be anticipated that the post-crisis aerospace industry will not look like it did before the crisis: Significant downsizing of operations is to be expected for both OEMs and suppliers – the industry will need to offset the resulting loss of scale with a step up in efficiency, potentially taking advantage of the crisis to take actions that would be unpalatable in easier times. Weaker suppliers (e.g. those with heavy exposure to the B737, more aftermarket exposure and less counter-cyclical defense business) will come under severe financial pressure. A significant consolidation of the industry by companies with strong balance sheets must be expected, either to take advantage of distressed assets or to bail out suppliers to safeguard the stability of their supply chain. One of two possible post-crisis industry models could emerge: 1. A more OEM-centric industry model whereby the OEMs consolidate key parts of the supply chain to stabilize and rationalize it. 2. A more balanced industry model between OEMs and key Tier-1 suppliers, where the Tier-1s have consolidated even more, amassed scale and are now on a level playing field with the OEMs. As the aerospace industry relies on a highly interconnected and mutually dependent supply chain, the crisis needs to be managed on two levels in parallel: On an individual company level, cash will be king. Protecting cash positions will be key to ensuring survival while managing the ramp-down, stabilizing and securing the supply chain and seizing opportunities in the market – we may therefore expect a cash squeeze in May and June as new production schedules become established but activities have not yet been rationalized. Preparing for the "new normal", rightsized and potentially repositioned operations must start immediately. To this end, the company's strategy, its industrial footprint and operating model, needs to be reviewed and a blueprint developed to fit with the "new normal" and provide the right framework for short-term actions and strategic moves. At industry level, companies and governments will need to work closely together to ensure that key industrial capabilities do not fall through the cracks, as this would put the whole industry at risk. Therefore, the industry will have to: Quickly reach a consensus on the "new normal" production rates Define a joint plan for how to transform the industry from its status quo to the "new normal" level Identify at-risk elements in the transition process and develop plans to support them Once this picture is clear, government support may need to be called upon to safeguard the short-term functioning of the industry and help manage the transition to the "new normal" for this strategically important sector. https://www.rolandberger.com/en/Point-of-View/COVID-19-How-we-will-need-to-rethink-the-aerospace-industry.html

Chaque lundi (exceptionnellement mardi pour cette semaine), on vous accompagne dans cette infolettre conjointe de Montréal inc., Bonjour Startup Montréal, Maison Notman et OSMO ! Découvrez nos initiatives, celles de l'écosystème, ainsi que des articles qui font du bien. Nos initiatives conjointes Vendredi 17 avril, 9h30 Exceptionnellement, retrouvez-nous ce vendredi 17 avril pour un webinaire à ne pas manquer ! Patrick Gagné, co-fondateur de Bonjour Startup Montréal, PDG de la fondation OSMO et entrepreneur en série, accueillera : L'Honorable Mélanie Joly, Ministre du Développement économique et des Langues officielles, avec qui nous parlerons des enjeux des startups. Judith Fetzer, co-fondatrice et PDG de Cook-it, qui a connu une croissance phénoménale pendant la crise et a recruté plus de 200 personnes en une semaine ! Inscrivez-vous d'ici demain midi pour pouvoir soumettre vos questions à la Ministre. Cinq questions seront sélectionnées et obtiendront des réponses durant le webinaire. INSCRIPTION POUR VISIONNER L'ENREGISTREMENT DU WEBINAIRE DU 8 AVRIL Webinaire - Comment minimiser les impacts de la COVID-19 sur vos contrats commerciaux Lundi 20 avril - 15h30 Vous êtes entrepreneur ? Vous avez signé des contrats commerciaux avant la pandémie et vous vous retrouvez dans l'impossibilité de répondre à vos obligations ? Me Guillaume Lapierre, avocat en droit des affaires, vous dira tout sur : L'extinction/suspension des obligations contractuelles en cas de circonstances exceptionnelles de force majeure Comment limiter les risques commerciaux et toute autre question que vous pouvez avoir sur le sujet Ce webinaire est présenté par Montréal inc., en collaboration avec Therrien Couture Jolicoeur S.E.N.C.R.L. INSCRIPTION Retour sur nos webinaires de la semaine dernière Le 9 avril dernier, Montréal inc., en collaboration avec Bonjour Startup Montréal conviaient les fondateurs de startups à participer à une “Journée RH” et proposaient 2 webinaires. Vous pouvez les revoir ici : Optimiser son recrutement et anticiper les besoins futurs Gérer les ressources humaines durant une crise Startup Genome: initiative globale pour comprendre l'effet de la COVID-19 sur les startups Notre partenaire Startup Genome, organisme qui recense les données des écosystèmes startups et publie un palmarès annuel des villes les plus dynamiques au monde, souhaite quantifier les impacts de la COVID-19 auprès des startups et interpeller les gouvernements pour des actions adaptées à ces entrepreneurs. Prenez quelques minutes pour répondre à ce sondage. Cliquez ici si vous avez complètement cessé votre activité Cliquez ici si vous êtes toujours ouverts et en activité Nos ressources Document collaboratif de partage d'offres d'emploi Gr'ce la collaboration entre les différents partenaires de l'écosystème startup, nous avons pu créer un outil collaboratif permettant de répertorier les offres d'emploi en temps de crise ainsi que les talents disponibles actuellement. Consultez le document et aidez-nous à le tenir à jour. CONSULTER LE DOCUMENT Cette page rassemble les informations relatives aux mesures prises par différentes instances gouvernementales pour assurer la résilience économique en lien avec la COVID-19. Au fur et à mesure que la situation évolue, nous mettons à jour cette section afin que la communauté startup puisse trouver un maximum de réponses aux questions et inquiétudes. CONSULTER LA PAGE Une page regroupant les questions les plus fréquemment posées et des pistes de réponses proposées par des conseillers spécialisés. CONSULTER LA PAGE Document collaboratif de ressources Consultez et partagez toutes les ressources, questions, inquiétudes que vous avez dans ce document collaboratif, ouvert à tout l'écosystème ! CONSULTER LE DOCUMENT Posez toutes vos questions à nos experts Vous avez des questions ? Ils sauront vous aider à y répondre, et ce, gratuitement! Un réseau de +50 experts bénévoles à disposition pour vous aider à adapter votre modèle d'affaires. Demandez une rencontre à coach@montrealinc.ca . *Tous les experts ont signé une entente de confidentialité des informations reçues et sont tenus de déclarer tout conflit d'intérêts. EN SAVOIR PLUS Échangez sur la chaîne #covid-19 du slack Bonjour Startup Montréal! Rejoignez-nous sur Slack! Initiatives de soutien de l'écosystème 2 lauréats Mtl inc : Dyze Design et Vention collaborent - Dyze design Intelligence industrielle - Signalisation digitale pour les commerces essentiels - Intelligence industrielle BRIDGR Cliniques gratuites pour digitaliser votre PME - BRIDGR Ma Zone Québec Creative Destruction Lab Escouade Numérique Vous avez vu ou lancé des initiatives positives? Envoyez-les nous, et nous les partagerons! Ces lectures qui font du bien! ? Gérer en temps de crise: entrevue avec Pierre Fitzgibbon - Premières en affaires Age of Union, le livre de Dax Dasilva en téléchargement gratuit Front commun pour l'achat en ligne - La Presse Après la crise viendra le moment d'inventer la suite. Voici quelques idées et réflexions sélectionnées - Novae Copyright © 2020 Montréal Inc., All rights reserved. .

On April 8, 2020, the DARPA Small Business Programs Office (SBPO) pre-released the following SBIR/STTR Opportunities (SBOs): "Seabed Simulation Synthesis", Announcement Number HR001120S0019-04, published at https://beta.sam.gov/search?keywords=HR001120S0019-04 "Wearable Laser Detection and Alert System", Announcement Number HR001120S0019-05, published at https://beta.sam.gov/search?keywords=HR001120S0019-05 "Open Source Wide Band Software Defined Acoustic Modem", Announcement Number HR001120S0019-06, published at https://beta.sam.gov/search?keywords=HR001120S0019-06 These SBOs will open for proposals on April 23, 2020 and close on May 26, 2020. If you have any questions on the open BAAs or DSIP, please contact the DSIP Help Desk Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET at 703-214-1333 or DoDSBIRSupport@reisystems.com. Thank you for your interest in the DoD SBIR/STTR Program. DoD SBIR/STTR Support Team

Today we launched our Testing Stream (formerly the Build in Canada Innovation Program) Call for Proposals aimed at Canadian innovators who have a prototype that can help Canada combat COVID-19 or similar future outbreaks. This call for proposals is a special edition of our Testing Stream and will be open for a limited time to support the Government of Canada's collective efforts in combating COVID-19. We are calling on innovators across the country who have an innovative solution ready to be tested by the federal government and its provincial, territorial and municipal partners to submit a proposal. You could land a sale of up to $550K, and if your innovation is deemed to be a game changer in the fight against COVID-19, under exceptional circumstances we may provide additional funding to test your innovation. This funding opportunity is open for a LIMITED time only – Apply before April 21, 2020. We are also planning the launch of a Testing Stream open Call for Proposals for any type of innovative prototype in Spring-Summer 2020. You may also be interested in three COVID-19 R&D funding challenges we recently launched: Made in Canada filtration material for the manufacture of N95 respirators and surgical masks Point of Care and Home Diagnostic Kit for COVID-19 Low-cost sensor system for COVID-19 patient monitoring APPLY ONLINE Aujourd'hui, nous avons lancé notre appel à propositions pour le volet de mise à l'essai (anciennement le Programme d'innovation construire au Canada - PICC) destiné aux innovateurs canadiens qui disposent d'un prototype pouvant aider le Canada à lutter contre COVID-19 ou d'autres épidémies futures similaires. Cet appel à propositions est une édition spéciale de notre volet de mise à l'essai, et sera ouvert pour une durée limitée, afin de soutenir les efforts collectifs du gouvernement du Canada dans la lutte contre COVID-19. Nous invitons les innovateurs de tout le pays qui disposent d'une solution innovante prête à être testée par le gouvernement fédéral et ses partenaires provinciaux, territoriaux et municipaux à soumettre une proposition. Vous pourriez décrocher une vente allant jusqu'à 550 000 $, et si votre innovation est considérée comme un facteur de changement important dans la lutte contre COVID-19, nous pouvons dans des circonstances exceptionnelles, vous fournir un financement supplémentaire pour tester votre innovation. Cette opportunité de financement est ouverte pour une durée LIMITÉE seulement - Posez votre candidature avant le 21 avril 2020. Nous prévoyons également le lancement d'un appel à propositions ouvert pour tout type de prototype innovant, au printemps-été 2020. Vous pourriez également être intéressé par trois opportunités de financement sous forme de défis visant la R&D que nous avons récemment lancée : Matériau de filtration fait au Canada pour la fabrication de respirateurs N95 et de masques chirurgicaux Système de capteurs peu coûteux surveiller l'état des patients atteints de la COVID-19 Trousse de diagnostic au point de service et à domicile pour le COVID-19 APPLIQUEZ EN LIGNE

The National Research Council of Canada is looking for made in Canada alternative solutions for the industrial production of efficient filtration material to be used for manufacturing N95 respirators and surgical masks. This challenge closes April 13, 2020. The awarded company could receive up to $1M for Phase 1 (7 days) and up to $5M for Phase 2 (4 weeks). Think you can solve this challenge? Compete for funding to prove your feasibility and develop a solution! COVID-19 Challenge: Made in Canada filtration material for the manufacture of N95 respirators and surgical masks Défi COVID-19 : Matériau de filtration fait au Canada pour la fabrication de respirateurs N95 et de masques chirurgicaux Le Conseil national de recherches du Canada est à la recherche de solutions alternatives fabriquées au Canada pour la production industrielle de matériaux de filtration efficaces destinés à la fabrication de respirateurs N95 et de masques chirurgicaux. Ce défi se termine le 13 avril 2020. L'entreprise sélectionnée pourrait recevoir jusqu'à 1 million $ pour la phase 1 (7 jours) et jusqu'à 5 millions $ pour la phase 2 (4 semaines). Vous pensez pouvoir résoudre ce défi ? Compétitionnez afin de prouver la faisabilité de votre solution et de la développer !

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Dr. Suzanne Kearns This article originally appeared in The Hill Times and is published here with the permission of the author. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged Canadians to adapt their way of life. Aviation professionals are playing a vital role in preserving societal functioning, with airlines volunteering to repatriate Canadians abroad, crew members risking exposure to reunite travellers with their families, and cargo operations playing a vital role in the supply chain – distributing essential medical supplies. These critical activities are only possible because of the work of the entire aviation sector that includes maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers, airport professionals, and so many others. In 2019 airlines carried 4.3 billion passengers, 58 million tonnes of freight, and supported 65.5 million jobs around the world (3.6 per cent of the world's gross domestic product according to the Aviation Benefits Report). The tourism sector is interconnected with aviation, supporting a further 37 million tourism-related jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the aviation industry in ways that were unfathomable at the beginning of this year. International aviation had been on a growth trajectory, with traffic projected to double in the coming 15 years. As 2020 began, some of the most pressing industry challenges were how to meet the demand for aviation professionals and achieve emission-reduction targets towards environmental sustainability. Aviation has always been a cyclical industry directly and rapidly impacted by downturns in the economy. The industry reported losses in the early 1990s due to the recession and again in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks; in 2003 following the SARS epidemic, and in 2008 linked to the financial crisis. Each of these downturns was followed by a period of economic recovery. Looking specifically at SARS, airlines lost $6 billion in revenues with the outbreak's economic impact having a V-shape where the rapid decline was matched by a speedy economic recovery. Despite the airline industry's cyclical nature it has maintained profitability for the past 10 years, with a profit of $25.9 billion in 2019 despite recent tragedies and challenges, according to IATA. For example, the sector faced the 737 Max accidents in 2018 and 2019, the Ukraine Airlines Flight 752 shot down in Iran, and the emergence of “flygskam” flight shaming air travel due to its emissions. Each of these events impacts passenger confidence in aviation, and many industry experts were bracing for an economic decline as a result. The industry maintaining profitability over the last decade is a testament to its strength and resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the aviation sector in new ways. The entire industry is being stretched to a breaking point, without interventions, it can not survive the crisis. Assuming travel restrictions are lifted after three months, 2020's passenger demand will be 38 per cent less than 2019, resulting in an impact of USD$ 252 billion according to IATA. Airports are projected to lose $46 billion in 2020, said Airport Council International (ACI). Although previous pandemics were followed by a sharp recovery, they did not cause recessions as COVID-19 might. This has led to three critical questions about the future of international aviation. When will the impacts of COVID-19 subside – and what will society look like when it does? How long will it take for people to have the funds and confidence to begin flying again? What specifically can be done to ensure the industry survives the crisis? How can we innovate during the downturn to craft a stronger future? The most pressing need for aviation is essential financial support through the pandemic, and in the coming months as society faces future waves of the virus. Beyond support to operators, it is critical to recognize that this situation also creates an opportunity to reflect upon and innovate practices within the industry. We will overcome this challenge, and hopefully build a better future. Key priorities during this time should explore how to mobilize Canada's innovation and research infrastructure towards aviation challenges. We have leading researchers in sustainability, cognitive science and engineering, material science, machine learning, automation, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence among other areas. We are in a position to apply Canadian expertise towards aviation innovations, as important elements of our economic recovery strategy. What is certain is that COVID-19 will change the world – what is unknown is how we can learn from this to create a stronger and more resilient future together. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/covid-19-and-aviation-survival-recovery-and-innovation