Canada invests $9.46M for jobs and training at Automotive Centre of Excellence

August 31, 2018 – The federal government has announced up to $9.46 million in funding to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology to support its Automotive Centre of Excellence in Oshawa, and to create new research and development jobs in the automotive industry.

The Automotive Centre of Excellence produces cutting-edge automotive technologies. Canada’s investment, part of an overall investment of $12.5 million, will almost double the number of full-time jobs at the facility, generate new training opportunities, promote research and development and encourage the advancement of cleaner and safer technologies.

“With a skilled workforce, world-renowned companies and leading-edge research, Canada’s auto sector is well positioned to create the vehicles of the future – ones that will be both safer and more efficient,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The new funding will also support the integration of a moving ground plane – a moving belt that acts like a road – and other state-of-the-art aerodynamic and aero-acoustic enhancements, which will help researchers create cleaner, safer and more reliable vehicles.

The Automotive Centre of Excellence is a 16,300 square-metre facility that houses one of the largest and most sophisticated wind tunnels in the world. The tunnel simulates weather conditions, such as severe wind, humidity, snow, ice and desert heat to measure the safety, durability and efficiency of different vehicles.

“The Government of Canada’s investment in this new advanced research infrastructure will drive commercialization of transformative vehicle technologies tied to energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction,” said Dr. Steven Murphy, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

In 2017, Canada produced 2.2 million vehicles. The auto sector is one of Canada’s largest manufacturing sectors with over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, including aftermarket services and dealerships networks. It contributes $18 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product and is the country’s largest export industry.