A commitment of $4 million was made by the Federal Economic Development Agency to the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation. Funding announced on October 16 in Welland is meant to help develop regional strength in advanced manufacturing through the provision of technical capability to achieve best-in-class performance in the industry.
This investment will promote clean growth and sustainable practices for manufacturers in the region. A significant component of this project is a partnership with Conestoga College, one of the core members of SONAMI, that will proceed and use part of these funding dollars within its own SMART Centre. It is a dedicated hub focusing on applied research and services in technical services and training, such as in areas of advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, and advanced recycling technologies.
Member of Parliament, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Vance Badawey, along with Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario.
Vice President of Research at Conestoga, Michelle Chrétien, was eager to speak about this investment: “We’re pleased that this critical network will be funded, and we look forward to its positive impact on manufacturers and related businesses in the Milton and Waterloo Region. This is the money that will go towards investment in research and innovation projects with regional businesses, which will focus on sustainable growth, job creation, and productivity improvement.
SONAMI is a network of post-secondary institutions working in partnership with small and medium-sized enterprises toward solving the challenges of the manufacturing sector.
This process of expert groups among faculty and students, combined with leading-edge equipment, brings innovative solutions to the table. It should be noted that in provinces across this country, federal funding has a major role in such initiatives.
Minister Tassi also highlighted the excellent work conducted at post-secondary institutions by SONAMI, in partnership with industry, “The important work undertaken by the SONAMI network, in partnership with the private sector, will advantage communities throughout Ontario. Such investments in the manufacturing sector for the Government of Canada are a source of pride because they demonstrate a commitment toward innovation and sustainable economic growth as it underpins the enormous latent worth of our region’s manufacturers.
Other colleges and institutions within SONAMI will join the group as well. Centennial College, Fanshawe College, Fleming College, George Brown College, Lambton College, McMaster University, Mohawk College, Niagara College, Queen’s University, and Sheridan College are a few examples.
