Ottawa is investing $9.8 million in a new research program based out of the University of British Columbia (UBC) to help Western Canadian composite manufacturers compete globally.
Lynne Yelich, minister of state for Western Economic Diversification, announced the funding Wednesday in Vancouver.
The funding will be used to create a new Composites Research Network, which will be spearheaded by UBC. It will have nodes in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
The new research network will help Western Canadian composite manufacturers develop the expertise they need to compete in a global market.
“Developing the necessary science and, hence, fundamental understanding of manufacturing issues and being able to assimilate them into every day operations to reduce defects and improve efficiencies is essential to remain competitive in today’s global market place,” Sean McKay, executive director of the Composites Innovation Centre, said in a press release.
“This investment in the Composites Research Network advances important collaborative research between researchers and businesses,” said John Hepburn, UBC’s vice-president of research.
“These research partnerships drive innovation by developing and implementing manufacturing solutions faster and more efficiently than would otherwise be possible.”
Composites are engineered from two or more materials. Disc brakes, made from ceramics embedded in soft metal, is one example of a composite. Concrete is also considered a composite.
Nelson Bennett
@nbennett_biv