Feds invest $10 million in Hamilton-based clean automotive and aerospace hub

Canada’s federal government is investing $10 million in a new automotive, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing network.

With funding from FedDev Ontario, McMaster University will establish iHub, a university-based network located at the McMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton, Ont.

The project, announced on June 14, will bring together industry experts at state-of-the-art facilities to support manufacturers, automotive and aerospace suppliers and SMEs to develop, test and incorporate the latest technologies required for the production of next-generation electric and autonomous vehicles and energy-efficient and intelligent aircrafts.

iHub will then connect participants with large automotive and aerospace manufacturers that require these solutions, expanding opportunities for local suppliers from across southern Ontario to integrate into these global supply chains.

The project is expected to support more than 230 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), spanning the automotive corridor in Ontario from Windsor to Oshawa, to facilitate the commercialization of 100 new products or services, support up to 170 direct jobs and leverage $16.8 million from industry partners including Ford, Honda, Bombardier, Stellantis (Fiat Chrysler), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and De Havilland.

iHub will also provide direct industry training of at least 200 personnel in SMEs looking to join global aerospace and automotive value chains.

The project aims to enhance Ontario’s position as a global destination to develop, test and commercialize hybrid, electric and autonomous vehicles and intelligent aircraft technologies while accelerating the path to net-zero emissions.

iHub will provide access to expertise and resources in electrification in southern Ontario to support the shift to electrification, encouraging investments in expertise to be made domestically.

McMaster University was recently named the most research-intensive university in the annual ranking of Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities for the fourth year in a row.