Research and Development

The emerging aerospace and defence sector in Alberta thrives through support by an established research infrastructure.

Programs

There are many programs, grants, and other tools available to foster research and development within Alberta’s Aerospace and Defence sector. There are some Alberta consultants that specialize in assisting companies with their submissions for Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED); should companies wish to investigate they myriad of programs available, they are encourage to peruse the programs summary available at the Business Link website.

• Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI)

  SADI is a research and development funding initiative administered by the Industrial Technologies Office (ITO) of Industry Canada. The aim of the SADI program is:

  • to encourage strategic research and development from Canada’s aerospace and defence industry companies; and
  • to enhance the competitiveness of the Canadian aerospace and defence industry

Academia

Training and education are the keys to building and retaining a skilled aerospace workforce. Alberta’s post-secondary education options in aerospace and defence are dispersed across the province and provide a full range of professional engineering programs. While currently lacking any specific aerospace engineering degree programs, the Universities of Alberta, Calgary and Lethbridge offer programs that benefit the sector, as do the province’s Colleges:

• The University of Alberta

  The University of Alberta has a variety of institutions with Aerospace and Defence applications, including the following:

  • The Institute for Space Science, Exploration, and Technology;
  • The Canadian Centre for Earth Observation ;
  • The Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Machine Learning;
  • The University of Alberta is also a partner in the National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT);
  • The Centre for Frontier Engineering Research (C-FER Technologies) in partnership with the Alberta Research Council (now part of Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures)

• The University of Calgary

  The University of Calgary has expertise in space science, navigation and positioning, and security. The university is home to:

  • The Institute for Space Imaging Science in partnership with the University of Lethbridge;
  • The Department of Geomatics;
  • The Centre for Information Security & Cryptology;
  • The iCORE Information Security Lab;
  • The Biometric Technologies Laboratory.

• The University of Lethbridge

  The University of Lethbridge is also involved in the aerospace and defence sector and is home to the following:

  • The Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre in partnership with civilian company Iunctus Geomatics Corp.
  • The Institute of Space Imaging Science (ISIS) in partnership with the University of Calgary

• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

  NAIT is a designated training organization under Transport Canada, and its programs are accredited by the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council (CAMC). NAIT offers two programs:

  • The Avionics Engineering Technology Program
  • Aircraft Skin and Structures Repair Program

• Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)

  SAIT is a designated training organization under Transport Canada, and its programs are accredited by the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council (CAMC). The Art Smith Aero Centre at SAIT offers three programs:

  • The Avionics Technology Program
  • Aircraft Structures Technician Program
  • Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technology Program

Other

• Defence Research and Development Establishment at Canadian Forces Base Suffield

  UVS research and development is occurring at the Defence Research and Development Establishment at Canadian Forces Base Suffield.

• Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures

  Canada's largest provincial research organization, Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures (formerly the Alberta Research Council), works with customers and partners to bring technological developments into commercial use. Its applied research and development work in advanced materials has bbeen of particular benefit to clients in the aerospace industry. 

• TRLabs

  Telecommunications research is underway at TRLabs, the largest not-for-profit information and communications (ICT) research consortium in Canada. TRLabs has locations in both Edmonton and Calgary.

Date Updated: Jan 14, 2010
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