Industry Canada (IC) develops and implements policies and initiatives to encourage innovation, enhance competitiveness, and promote growth in Canada’s manufacturing sector and related industries. IC fulfils its mission by gathering and analysing sectoral and business intelligence to develop and implement evidence-based policies and programs. These efforts contribute to increased trade and investment, commercialization of new technologies, skill development, and a more competitive domestic manufacturing sector.
Canadian manufacturing is highly diversified, with leading firms across a broad range of sub-sectors, including automotive, aerospace and defence, life sciences, information and communication technologies, machinery and equipment, food processing, and emerging technologies. However, the Canadian manufacturing sector faces intense global competition from developed and emerging economies. Innovation is a key driver of manufacturing sector competitiveness and innovation related to advanced manufacturing is particularly important to global competitiveness. Advanced manufacturing includes the development of cutting-edge technologies that demonstrate a commitment to product, process, and technological innovation. New and improved products and processes create additional demand and drive productivity gains across manufacturing sub-sectors and manufacturers that can compete through innovation will be best positioned to thrive.
The Government has taken numerous steps to create a business environment conducive to manufacturing leadership. In Budget 2013, the Government announced the creation of the Advanced Manufacturing Fund (AMF) to promote the continued long-term growth, productivity, and competitiveness of Ontario's manufacturing sector by:
- Supporting large-scale, transformative advanced manufacturing activities which will increase productivity;
- Advancing development and/or adoption of cutting-edge technologies, leading to product, process, and
technological innovations;
- Encouraging projects that create spillover benefits for manufacturing clusters and/or supply chains; and,
- Fostering collaborations between the private sector, research institutions, and post-secondary institutions.
AMF projects may include activities related to prototyping, demonstration projects, advanced product testing, and applied research leading to a practical application; work undertaken to achieve technological advancement through the creation/improvement of existing materials, devices, products or processes; and/or the adoption or adaptation of highly innovative products, technologies, and processes that support product or process innovation.
