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奈地区有着依赖自然资源的历史，这些基础产业至今仍然存在。然而，由于经济结构调整和经济日益全球化，自然资源行业必须寻求新的方式来保持竞争力。该计划建立在超过15年的行业驱动的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。该计划最初将侧重于该地区木材和金属制造业集群内的机会，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、木材和金属双产品利用以及以数字制造为重点的技术转让。研究，行业培训和教育计划将与库特奈科学技术协会的冶金工业发展加速和研究中心（MIDAS）合作，该中心于2015年在西方经济多样化的资助下启动。MIDAS设施占地6,500平方米。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产品，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中心将帮助行业合作伙伴优化业务流程，降低成本，提高效率，提高生产力和竞争力。通过与教育项目和体验式学习的联系，该计划还将促进毕业后具有所需技能的高素质人才进入劳动力市场的发展。

Like many other rural regions in Canada, the Kootenay region in southeast BC has a history of natural resourcereliance and these foundational industries remain today. However, as a result of economic restructuring and anincreasingly globalized economy, natural resource industries must seek new ways to remain competitive. Theproposed program builds on over 15 years of industry-driven research and workforce development support andis aimed at supporting the advanced manufacturing needs of companies in southeast British Columba. Theprogram will focus initially on the opportunities within the wood and metals manufacturing cluster in theregion, with the long term goal of expanding its reach to include emerging sectors (e.g. health relatedprototyping) and industry partners from across Western Canada. The research agenda will focus on largeformat additive manufacturing, integrated large format additive and subtractive manufacturing, wood andmetals bi-product utilization, and digital fabrication-focused technology transfer. Research, industry trainingand educational programming will be delivered in partnership with the Kootenay Association for Science andTechnology's Centre for Metallurgical Industrial Development Acceleration and Studies (MIDAS) which waslaunched 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, 3Dprinting, CNC milling equipment, wood and metal woodworking and electronics, and a suite of relatedengineering, CNC and software applications. It is anticipated the research and workforce development agendawill help industry partners to optimize business processes, decrease costs, enhance efficiency, and increaseproductivity and competitiveness. Through links to educational programming and experiential learning, theprogram will also promote development of highly qualified personnel entering the workforce with in-demandskills upon graduation.