NRC Annual Report 2001-2002

Québec – aerospace manufacturingand aluminium technology clustersNRC moved forward with itsvalue-added aluminiumproducts industry clusterdevelopment effort in VilleSaguenay. Constructionbegan on the NRCAluminium TechnologyCentre on the campusof the Université de Québecà Chicoutimi. The centre willprovide industry with technicalsupport and expertiseneeded to develop valueaddedaluminium-basedproducts and services. It will combine R&D activities,and process simulation and instrumentationefforts targeted to aluminium manufacturing technologiesdevelopment and to the transformationof aluminium into finished and semi-finishedproducts. The centre will be home to 80 researchers,technicians and technical staff working tosupport industry, mainly SMEs. In addition, about20 young scientists will be trained at the centreeach year – helping build the highly skilled talentCanada needs in this important sector.In Montréal, NRC’s goal of creating its world-classAerospace Manufacturing Technology Centre(NRC-AMTC) saw major progress. The facility willprovide the region with an integrated approach toaerospace manufacturing technology research,development and application. Located on thecampus of the Université de Montréal, it willaccommodate up to 100 staff and guest workersinvestigating advanced metal products, informationsystems and computational methods, advancedcomposite products, and functional materials. Theresearch will focus on next-generation manufacturingwith particular relevance to SMEs. The centrewill respond to the needs expressed by theindustry, including challenges in manufacturing andlife cycle costs, environmentally compliant materials,processes and systems, strategic intelligenceand information management systems, and thetraining and development of highly skilled people.Ontario – photonics – light speedtechnology for CanadaNRC accelerated its plans to establish its NRCCanadian Photonics Fabrication Centre(NRC-CPFC) in Ottawa with the technology clusterfunding announcements made in the federalbudget in December 2001. The centre will be aunique national resource designed to give theCanadian photonics industry the competitive edgeit needs. It will provide a facility to develop andtest prototypes of new photonics devices, trainhighly qualified personnel, and serve as a leadingedgeR&D resource and network centre for industryand university researchers. Completing the innovationequation, the centre will help address theshortage of personnel in photonics through remoteand on-site training, internships and re-skillingprograms.In addition to tying into NRC-IMS strengths and allof NRC’s program, network and knowledgeresources, the centre will be closely connected tothe business and government communities. NRCand Photonics Research Ontario (PRO) signed aMemorandum of Understanding at NRC’s sixthOttawa Regional Innovation Forum in May 2001, topromote collaboration in the areas of photonicsand biophotonics research. The new centre willfocus its initial R&D, design, fabrication and technologytransfer activities around new lasers,photonics integrated circuits, detectors andsensors, chips for wavelength division multiplexingand semiconductor optical amplifiers – technologyfields with enormous growth potential.37C o m m u n i t yS C I E N C E A T W O R K F O R C A N A D A