23 février 2022
6 janvier 2020 | Local, Technologies propres, Méga données et intelligence artificielle, Fabrication avancée 4.0, Systèmes autonomes (Drones / E-VTOL), Fabrication additive
What AIAC’s Vision 2025 could mean for smaller sized enterprises
by Chris Thatcher; Skies Magazine
Posted on December 24, 2019
When the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada in June released its blueprint for the next five years, Vision 2025: Charting a New Course, support for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) was one of its core themes.
Small companies make up over 90 per cent of the sector and the report argued for greater government support to help them scale up, generate more jobs, and enhance their global competitiveness. That could include new funding to pursue digital business transformation, a reduction in the complexity of government contracting, and greater priority in the value propositions of prime contractors chasing defence procurements.
“If our small- and mid-sized companies are left at risk, the negative impacts will be felt across Canada's aerospace industry as a whole,” according to the report, prepared by Jean Charest, a former premier of Quebec and deputy prime minister of Canada.
Small companies are viewed as the prime creators of aerospace jobs and, in a sector buffeted by changing technology and new players, many may be more agile and better able to adapt than larger counterparts that must answer to corporate headquarters outside of Canada. But support from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and governments is essential to their survival, according to a panel of SMEs at the Canadian Aerospace Summit in November.
There is no one-size-fits-all to helping SMEs scale up. Companies at different stages of growth require different types of support, they noted. But help with skilled labour shortages and easier access to government programs are common challenges for all.
A solid position on a major platform is critical to initial success, but long-term growth requires diversification, observed Barney Bangs, chief executive officer of Tulmar Safety Systems.
Located between Ottawa and Montreal in the small community of Hawkesbury, Ont., the company manufactures protective and safety equipment, associated components and in-flight training products. Traditionally, its focus has been 80 per cent defence — Tulmar has been a supplier to a military platform for over 25 years and benefitted from a strong aftermarket. In recent years, though, the company has sought a better balance between military and commercial customers.
“As of last year, we were 65 per cent defence and 35 per cent (civilian) aerospace,” he said.
Tulmar has also become more of what he called “a solution provider,” integrating components from other suppliers to provide an OEM with a final, certified piece of equipment such as an aircraft seat rather than just the safety harness or seatbelt. “We are doing more in-house and saving customer-costs for the OEM,” said Bangs.
Diversification has also been a priority for Apex Industries, a machining, components, subassembly and structures manufacturer in Moncton, N.B. Twelve years ago, its aerospace business was five per cent defence and 95 per cent civil, much of it geared to Bell Helicopter and Bombardier.
“We made a conscious effort to diversify into the military side a lot more,” said vice-president Keith Donaldson. “We are very conscious of not allowing our sales to go too high on one platform or with one customer.”
Challenged by cost-savings pressures in commercial aviation contracts, military platforms offer a company like APEX “good visibility,” he said.
However, militaries have long been trading quantity for technological superiority, meaning fewer platforms and a relatively short production cycle.
And ramping up quickly with people and equipment to meet tight delivery schedules is a challenge for small businesses that need other options to justify and sustain the investment when the contract ends. “It is very tough for a SME like ourselves to invest.”
However, defence procurement and government programs can go a long way to supporting the scale-up of SMEs, said Patrick Mann, president of Patlon Aircraft & Industries, a technical sales force for global manufacturers of custom components and systems. The scale-up program must be run by single entity within government committed to the Canadian SME community that would be “funded, independent and have the authority to make decisions.”
Mann suggested coping what has worked well in other jurisdictions, noting the success of the United States Small Business Administration's set-aside program. “Within that, there is a small business innovation research program which has been highly successful in scaling up SMEs,” he said.
The Vision 2025 report called for a federal scale-up program to “provide advice, coaching, networking, value proposition development and consortium-building support to incentivize growth and build capacity–helping firms expand their global footprints and giving them the means and maturity to support OEMs effectively.”
The report recommended the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) within Public Services and Procurement Canada shoulder that responsibility. “Having OSME at the table as a contributor to the development of government procurement strategies and as a champion of small and medium-sized business interests will help ensure government policies and programs recognize the unique characteristics of small firms,” it stated.
“We are a pretty good example of a scale-up of an SME using competitive bid government procurement as a mechanism,” said Mann. However, developments over the past 10 years such as single point of accountability and bundling, where multiple small contracts are combined in one larger procurement that is awarded to one contractor, have been “devasting” to smaller suppliers. “It has been a real issue for us. Again, it is an issue where (OSME) can play a role.”
OEMs can bolster government programs by mentoring small companies within their supplier base on management and production processes, especially around digitization, added Donaldson. “OEMs have a lot of that knowledge ... [but] I don't think [they] do enough of that.”
He and Bangs both cautioned that the ability to scale up will be contingent on resolving talent shortages. Developing and attracting skilled labour is a chronic problem affecting the entire sector, but it is particularly acute for SMEs in more remote locations that don't have the resources to recruit as widely or navigate the immigration system. “Before we launch a scale-up program with support for financing and working capital, we have to make sure we have our skills done first,” said Donaldson.
However the Liberal government opts to respond to the Vision 2025 report, the value of investing in SMEs should be clear. Viking Air, KF Aerospace or IMP Aerospace & Defence were once small companies and are “now thriving global participants,” said Mann. “That is the reason why todays SMEs are an important part of our industry.”
Sur le même sujet
-
-
3 octobre 2022
Invitation à une session d’information sur Tremplin vers l’Hypercroissance
Tremplin vers l'hypercroissance est un programme de développement des cadres supérieurs d'une durée de trois mois, conçu pour propulser les scaleups qualifiées de tout le Québec gr'ce à un mentorat international et à des services de commercialisation ciblés. Nous espérons cette offre complémentaire à l'offre existante dans l'écosystème québécois. Nous vous invitons à venir en apprendre davantage sur la programmation 2023. Ce que le programme offre est un ensemble de services sur mesure : Mentorat individuel par des experts internationaux Groupes de codéveloppement peer-to-peer pour les PDG Ateliers de coaching approfondi par des experts internationaux Missions de vente Ce que nous recherchons : Des entreprises québécoises ambitieuses et à croissance rapide ayant un potentiel mondial démontré. Le programme Tremplin vers l'hypercroissance sera lancé à la mi-mars 2023 et se terminera à la mi-juin 2023. Le recrutement des entreprises commencera en octobre et se terminera le 20 décembre 2022. Startup Montréal et Apexe Québec vous invitent à une session d'information dédiée aux partenaires de l'écosystème pour en savoir plus sur notre programme et obtenir des réponses à vos questions par notre équipe exécutive. Quand : Le mercredi 5 octobre 2022 Heure : 12 h - 13 h HE RSVP : https://bit.ly/AQB01IncAccOct05 Venez rencontrer les concepteurs et gestionnaires du programme, en savoir plus sur les critères d'admissibilité des entreprises et prendre le temps de poser vos questions.
-
23 juillet 2021
IDEaS Innovator Update: July 2021//Mise à jour IDEeS pour les innovateurs : juillet 2021
As we roll into summer, IDEaS isn't slowing down! Projects are progressing, new contracts are being signed, and new challenges for innovators are being launched. Here are the latest news! Green Heat Test Drive and Competitive Projects CFP#5 Headline the Summer Lineup New Call for Proposals (CFP) from Test Drives and Competitive Projects are on the way. The Green Heat: Low Carbon Energy Generation for Heating Existing Buildings Test Drive will be issuing its call for proposals soon. You can see the Green Heat Advance Procurement Notice now to prepare for the call. Six new challenges under Competitive Projects will also be released in the coming weeks. Here's a sneak peek: Worth a thousand sources: A fused picture for continental surveillance We Sea You: Digital tracking and accounting on navy vessels Erosion from Motion: Reducing wear and tear on rotary blades Wireless is where it's at: Secure and Seamless Wireless Network Onboard Ships High Bandwidth, Low Profile: Next generation point-to-point communication solutions for the field Less GHGs on the Seas: Practical solutions to measure and record energy consumption Stay tuned for more info! Competitive Projects Keep Rolling Our latest call for proposals (CFP#4), which focused on a number of domains including autonomous vehicles, lightweight modular armour, acoustic and visual detection, cybersecurity and data analysis, has now awarded 48 $200K contracts with innovators. On top of that 23 $1 million contracts for CFP #2 have been awarded, completing component 1B for this call. These milestones add up to IDEaS funding fast and moving science and technology through our innovation pipeline. The Pop Up City Contest Pitch Completes Round 3 The Pop Up City Contest held its Round three pitch event. Six contest teams from across Canada went head-to-head presenting their solutions that integrated water, waste and energy systems for relocatable temporary camps for troops. Over 100 DND/CAF and DRDC representatives attended the event, including other government departments. Up to three lucky winners will each receive up to $1.5M each to build a prototype of their solution. Get a flavour of the competition by watching the wrap up video, which was recently featured in Defence Team News. Winners will be announced in August 2021. DND Poised to Host Next NATO Innovation Hub Challenge in Fall 2021 After a successful Pitch Event hosted by Portugal, the torch was passed to Canada to deliver the next Innovation Challenge for the NATO Innovation Hub. IDEaS and the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) will be working together to release DND's Innovation Challenge for a Fall Pitch Event. This Dragon's Den-style competition invites innovators from all NATO nations to tackle defence challenges and design solutions. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months. New Look for IDEaS Webiste You may have noticed a new look and feel with the IDEaS web site. Frankly, it's hard to miss. We are proud to launch our new web site, which gives easier access to innovators to past, present and future challenges, compare individual results from each challenge, as well as a refreshed look. We hope it makes the IDEaS experience that much better. Check it out! PSPC Wants Your Feedback As you know, the IDEaS program works very closely with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). Much like our partners we are committed to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in our day-to-day activities, decisions and partnerships choices. Including everyone enhances the potential of game changing innovative defence and security solutions because we are drawing on all strengths of Canada's population. As part of the Government of Canada's mandate to pursue economic empowerment for Black entrepreneurs, PSPC has undertaken initiatives to increase the participation of Black-owned or -led businesses in federal procurement such as the Black Businesses Procurement Pilot launched on January 12, 2021. In line with this initiative, a Request for Information (RFI) was initiated to seek feedback directly from Black-owned or -led businesses regarding their experience with federal procurement. In order to assist PSPC's initiatives to support opportunities for Black Canadians, we encourage all Black-owned or -led businesses to fill out this 10 minute questionnaire. Being inclusive is important to enhance innovative solutions, and that is what we strive to do better every day. Alors que nous commençons l'été, le programme IDEeS ne ralentit pas! Les projets progressent, de nouveaux contrats sont signés et nous continuons de lancer de nouveaux défis aux innovateurs. Voici les dernières nouvelles! Le Banc d'Essai Énergie Verte et l'appel de propositions « Projets compétitif numéro 5 » sont à l'affiche cet été De nouveaux appels de propositions (ADP) pour Banc d'essais et Projets compétitifs sont en route. Le Banc d'Essai Énergie Verte : Production d'énergie à faibles émissions de carbone pour le chauffage de b'timents existants, publiera son appel de propositions bientôt. Vous pouvez présentement consulter l'avis préalable de passation de marché portant sur l'Énergie Verte afin de vous préparer à cet appel. Six nouveaux défis sous Projets compétitifs seront également publiés dans les semaines à venir. En voici un avant-goût : Une image vaut mille sources: image fusionnée pour la surveillance continentale On vous voit – suivi et comptabilité numériques sur les navires de la marine Érosion due au mouvement – réduire l'usure des pales de la voilure tournante Le sans-fil est là où il se trouve : Réseau sans fil sécurisé et transparent à bord des navires Large bande passante, courte portée – solutions de communication point à point de nouvelle génération pour le terrain Moins de GES en mer : des solutions pratiques pour mesurer et enregistrer la consommation d'énergie Restez à l'affût pour plus d'informations ! Les Projets compétitifs se poursuivent Notre dernier appel de propositions (numéro 4) portait sur les domaines des véhicules autonomes, des blindages modulaires légers, de la détection acoustique et visuelle, la cybersécurité ainsi que l'analyse des données. Cet appel a permis d'attribuer 48 contrats de 200 000 dollars à des innovateurs. En outre, nous avons attribué 23 contrats d'un million de dollars dans le cadre du deuxième appel de propositions, ce qui complète la composante 1B de cet appel. Gr'ce à ces avancées, IDEeS finance rapidement des sciences et des technologies rapides et évolutives par le biais de notre pipeline d'innovation. L'évènement de présentation du concours Ville Éclair complète la troisième ronde Le concours Ville Éclair a tenu sa troisième ronde de présentation. Six équipes de participants ont présenté leurs solutions intégrant les systèmes de traitements d'eau, de déchets et d'énergie pour des camps temporaires plus efficace pour les troupes. Plus de 100 représentants du MDN/FAC, de RDDC, ainsi que d'autres ministères étaient présents. Jusqu'à trois heureux gagnants recevront jusqu'à 1,5 million de dollars chacun pour la construction d'un prototype de leur solution. Pour en savoir plus sur le concours, visionnez la vidéo de clôture, qui a récemment fait l'objet d'un article dans les Nouvelles de l'équipe de la défense. Les gagnants seront annoncés en août 2021. Le MDN sera le prochain organisateur du défi du Centre d'innovation de l'OTAN à l'automne 2021 Après un événement de présentation réussi organisé par le Portugal, le flambeau fut passé au Canada pour organiser le prochain défi du Centre d'innovation de l'OTAN. IDEeS et le Commandement des Forces d'opérations spéciales du Canada (COMFOSCAN) travailleront ensembles à la publication du prochain défi d'innovation du MDN dans le cadre d'un événement de présentation à l'automne. Cette compétition style « Dragon's Den » invite les innovateurs de toutes les nations de l'OTAN à relever les défis de la Défense et à concevoir des solutions. Restez à l'écoute pour plus de renseignements dans les prochains mois. Nouveau look pour le site IDEaS Vous avez peut-être remarqué que le site Web d'IDEeS a changé de configuration. Pour être honnête, c'est difficile à manquer. Nous sommes fiers de lancer notre nouveau site Web, qui permet aux innovateurs d'accéder plus facilement aux défis passés, présents et futurs, de comparer les résultats individuels de chaque défi, ainsi que de bénéficier d'un look actualisé. Nous espérons qu'il rendra l'expérience IDEeS encore plus agréable. Rendez-vous sur le site ! SPAC veut vos commentaires Comme vous le savez, le programme IDEeS travaille en étroite collaboration avec les Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada (SPAC). Tout comme nos partenaires, nous nous engageons à faire progresser l'équité, la diversité et l'inclusion dans nos activités quotidiennes, nos décisions et nos choix de partenariats. Inclure tout le monde améliore le potentiel de solutions novatrices de défense et de sécurité qui changent la donne, car nous nous appuyons sur toutes les forces de la population canadienne. Dans le cadre du mandat du gouvernement du Canada de poursuivre l'autonomisation économique des entrepreneurs noirs, SPAC a lancé des initiatives pour accroître la participation des entreprises appartenant ou dirigées par des Noirs aux marchés publics fédéraux, comme le projet pilote d'approvisionnement auprès des entreprises noires lancé le 12 janvier 2021. Dans le cadre de cette initiative, une demande d'information a été lancée pour obtenir des commentaires directement des entreprises appartenant ou dirigées par des Noirs concernant leur expérience en matière d'approvisionnement fédéral. Afin d'aider les initiatives de SPAC visant à soutenir les opportunités pour les Canadiens noirs, nous encourageons toutes les entreprises appartenant ou dirigées par des Noirs à remplir ce questionnaire de 10 minutes. Être inclusif est important pour améliorer les solutions innovatrices, et c'est ce que nous nous efforçons de faire mieux chaque jour.