Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation; Supporting Economic Recovery for SMEs through Sustainability, Profitability and Growth

南安大略省先进制造业创新网络（SONAMI）是一个由八所高等教育机构组成的成熟且功能强大的网络，旨在支持安大略省南部制造业的中小型企业。SONAMI的使命是创建一站式商店，为这些企业提供教师、学生、设备和设施，帮助他们创新和创造新的产品和工艺。SONAMI对其目前的影响和安大略省南部先进制造业的整体状况进行了分析。通过这项工作，包括广泛的第三方行业调查，与经济发展办公室、行业合作伙伴和行业协会的访谈，SONAMI确定了四个目标增长的战略部门。对选定部门的额外投入包括该地区当前的制造业优势、预测的需求、可转让的技术和技能，以及对SONAMI成员当前优势和未来增长计划的认可。这些部门——交通运输、能源系统、医疗设备和食品加工——已被确定为该网络能力和活动的目标增长部门。应用研究和技术合作基金（ARTP）将允许SONAMI投资于这四个战略部门，并深化网络的作用，为安大略省南部的先进制造业的创新生态系统做出贡献。所有项目的目标都是为了产生新的产品、工艺和服务，使其商业化或被中小企业采用。通过ARTP拨款，SONAMI将与四个目标领域的行业合作伙伴开展至少42个应用研究项目。这42个项目将通过可持续性、增长和盈利能力三重视角进行评估，以最好地支持中小企业的经济复苏。ARTP SONAMI项目既要符合目标行业，又要符合以下三个标准：1)可持续性：项目将侧重于为中小企业提供环境和清洁技术解决方案。2)盈利能力：项目将支持通过流程和供应链优化来提高盈利能力，并为转向加拿大制造的中小企业提供解决方案。3)成长：项目将围绕支持就业和开发商业化产品建立能力和知识，为中小企业打开本地和全球市场。

The Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI) is an established and highly functioning network of eight post-secondary institutions designed to support small- and medium- sized enterprises in the manufacturing sector across southern Ontario. SONAMI's mission is to create a one-stop shop, providing these businesses with access to faculty, students, equipment and facilities to help them innovate and create new products and processes. SONAMI has conducted an analysis of its current impact and the broader state of advanced manufacturing in southern Ontario. Through this work, including an extensive third-party industry survey, interviews with economic development offices, industry partners and industry associations, SONAMI has identified four strategic sectors for targeted growth. Additional inputs for the selected sectors include current manufacturing strengths of the region, forecasted need, transferrable technology and skills, as well as a recognition of our SONAMI members' current strengths and future growth plans. These sectors - transportation, energy systems, medical devices, and food processing - have been identified for targeted growth of the network's capacity and activities. The Applied Research and Technology Partnership Grant (ARTP) will allow SONAMI to invest in these four strategic sectors and deepen the network's role contributing to the innovation ecosystem for southern Ontario's advanced manufacturing. All the projects' objectives are designed to result in new products, processes, and services, commercialized or adopted by the SMEs. Through the ARTP Grant SONAMI will conduct at least 42 applied research projects with industry partners in the four targeted sectors. These 42 projects will be assessed through a triple lens of sustainability, growth, and profitability, to best support the economic recovery for SMEs. ARTP SONAMI projects will need to both fit within a targeted sector as well as align to the following three criteria: 1) Sustainability: Projects will focus on achieving environmental and clean-technology solutions for SMEs.2) Profitability: Projects will support the need to increase profitability with process and supply-chain optimization and enhancing solutions for SMEs that have pivoted to made-in-Canada solutions. 3) Growth: Projects will build capabilities and knowledge around supporting employment and developing commercialized products to open local and global markets for SMEs.