NRC’s Factory of the Future strives for “faster, cheaper, lighter, smarter” manufacturing

Jun. 12, 2015 – Increased competition from emerging economies in today’s global marketplace means transforming Canadian manufacturing into factories of the future — faster, cheaper, lighter, smarter businesses able to create jobs, compete and win in global markets — said Ed Holder, minister of state for science and technology, as he announced an investment of up to $5 million to the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) as part of the Factory of the Future program.

“Canadian manufacturing is a critical part of our economy employing over 1.5 million Canadians in well-paying, mostly full-time work,” he said. “In an increasingly competitive world, we need to provide Canadian manufacturers with the tools they need to be competitive if we want our communities to prosper.”

The new program leverages the National Research Council’s infrastructure and equipment to assist Canadian manufacturers develop, adopt and deploy new technologies and processes to produce high-quality, specialized manufactured goods at lower costs and in shorter time frames, according to Holder. NRC’s facility in London, Ont., aims to stimulate public-private partnership and provide Canadian companies with access to research and development support for additive manufacturing, advanced materials development, systems engineering and product and process validation.

The funding announced today is part of the $5.8-billion commitment toward public infrastructure announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in November 2014.

“It is difficult to go it alone in an increasingly competitive marketplace. NRC has proven to be an invaluable partner in our business, particularly when it comes to the development of new product applications. The Factory of the Future program will provide important resources to assist manufacturers stay in step with the rapid pace of change,” added Ron Harris, president and CEO of Jones Packaging.