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Aerospace Cluster of Montréal meets

April 17, 2009, Montreal – Aéro Montréal, the Aerospace Cluster of Metropolitan Montréal, recently held its annual meeting at Concordia University. The event was attended by several senior executives from the aerospace industry. Marc Parent, Aéro Montréal’s Chairman of the Board, and Chief Operating Officer of CAE Inc., as well as Suzanne M. Benoît, CEO of Aéro Montréal, reported on the organization’s highly positive results for the year 2008 and their upcoming plans for 2009.

The year 2008 was one of intensive activity for Aéro Montréal, as the organization worked at developing and promoting the aerospace sector using production of innovative communication tools.

Aéro Montréal distinguished itself by its leadership in Québec’s Symposium des Créneaux d’excellence québécois et des Pôles de compétitivité français, a large-scale venue that was part of the economic events organized for Québec City’s 400th anniversary celebration, held in Montréal and Québec City during the spring of 2008.

In its projects, Aéro Montréal focused on the challenges facing the supply chain in the aerospace sector, where innovative supply chain management practices are key to aerospace companies.
“Of course, our industrial sector ranks as one of the best, worldwide. And yet, in order to remain competitive, Québec’s industry has opted for cooperation and coordination. With the support of all players in Québec’s aerospace sector, Aéro Montréal represents a strategic forum allowing us to work together for the benefit of all” noted Mr. Parent, Chairman of the Board of Aéro Montréal.

“In 2008, the cluster’s activities have, more than ever, helped consolidate the position of Québec’s aerospace sector and reaffirmed Aéro Montréal as the quintessential coordinating platform” added Ms Benoît.

It is also in 2008 that Aéro Montréal held its first Summit on the Training of Engineers and Specialists for the Aerospace Industry. François Caza, Vice President and Chief Engineer, Engineering Division, Bombardier Aerospace, and Christophe Guy, Executive Director at École Polytechnique de Montréal, co-chaired the event.

At this Summit, over 125 people representing Québec’s industry and higher education institutions spent a day discussing the manpower needs of Québec’s aerospace sector and the conditions for joining forces in order to enhance university and company training programs.
Together, they developed training programs for the next generation of Québec Aerospace engineers and specialists, working hard at maintaining the high level of competence and expertise which defines Metropolitan Montréal’s workforce.

The co president of the event, François Caza launched the White Paper on the Summit and indicated what actions the sector intends on taking in order to develop its highly qualified workforce and prepare the next generation. A copy of the White Paper is available at www.aeromontreal.ca .

“The main thing that transpires from the Summit on the Training of Engineers and Specialists for the Aerospace Industry is that companies, just like universities, want and are ready to work together to enhance their collaboration and better respond to the sector’s need for specialized human resources,” said Mr. Caza.

“Here are some of the actions identified during the Summit and on which our industry will focus: encourage university-company and company-university exchanges; establish shared training programs that are recognized by all the partners for in-company aerospace training; encourage more young people to consider a career in aerospace engineering; and encourage more university students to continue on with graduate studies,” added Mr. Caza.