Building an Advanced Manufacturing Cluster in Rural BC

像加拿大的许多其他农村地区一样，不列颠哥伦比亚省东南部的库特尼地区有着依赖自然资源的历史，这些基础工业今天仍然存在。然而，由于经济结构调整和日益全球化的经济，自然资源产业必须寻求新的途径来保持竞争力。该计划建立在超过15年的行业驱动研究和劳动力发展支持的基础上，旨在支持不列颠哥伦比亚省东南部公司的先进制造需求。该**项目最初将重点关注**地区木材和金属制造业集群的机会，长期目标是扩大其覆盖范围，包括新兴行业（例如与健康相关的**原型）和来自加拿大西部的行业合作伙伴。研究议程将侧重于大幅面增材制造、集成大幅面增材和减材制造、木材和金属副产品利用以及以数字制造为重点的技术转移。研究、行业培训和教育计划将与库特尼科学和技术协会的冶金工业发展加速和研究中心（MIDAS）合作提供，该中心于2015年在西部经济多元化的资助下**启动。MIDAS设施占地6500平方英尺。麻省理工学院认证的Fab Lab，拥有领先的数字制造设备，包括3D扫描，3D打印，CNC铣削设备，木材和金属木工和电子设备，以及一套相关的工程，CNC和软件应用程序。预计研究和劳动力发展议程**将帮助行业合作伙伴优化业务流程，降低成本，提高效率，提高**的生产力和竞争力。通过与教育项目和体验式学习的联系，该项目还将促进高素质人才的发展，使他们在毕业时具备所需的技能。

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.