Building an Advanced Manufacturing Cluster in Rural BC

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Like many other rural regions in Canada, the Kootenay region in southeast BC has a history of natural resource reliance and these foundational industries remain today. However, as a result of economic restructuring and an increasingly globalized economy, natural resource industries must seek new ways to remain competitive. The proposed program builds on over 15 years of industry-driven research and workforce development support and is aimed at supporting the advanced manufacturing needs of companies in southeast British Columba. The program will focus initially on the opportunities within the wood and metals manufacturing cluster in the region, with the long term goal of expanding its reach to include emerging sectors (e.g. health related prototyping) and industry partners from across Western Canada. The research agenda will focus on large format additive manufacturing, integrated large format additive and subtractive manufacturing, wood and metals bi-product utilization, and digital fabrication-focused technology transfer. Research, industry training and educational programming will be delivered in partnership with the Kootenay Association for Science and Technology's Centre for Metallurgical Industrial Development Acceleration and Studies (MIDAS) which was launched in 2015 with funding from Western Economic Diversification. The MIDAS facility is a 6,500 sq. ft. MIT-certified Fab Lab that houses leading-edge digital fabrication equipment including 3D scanning, 3D printing, CNC milling equipment, wood and metal woodworking and electronics, and a suite of related engineering, CNC and software applications. It is anticipated the research and workforce development agenda will help industry partners to optimize business processes, decrease costs, enhance efficiency, and increase productivity and competitiveness. Through links to educational programming and experiential learning, the program will also promote development of highly qualified personnel entering the workforce with in-demand skills upon graduation.