Automotive News Canada - September 2020 - 14

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* S E P T E M B E R 2 020

Canada as a technology powerhouse?

Signs we're falling behind

Automaker R&D
dollars to build the
vehicle of the future
are being spent
closer to their
home bases, but
Canada is home
base to none

million in 2016 to develop
"In our last large round of
tors.
and commercialize technolofinancing in 2017, about 95 per
Still, Lee thinks Canada is
gy for autonomous vehicles.
cent came from foreign inves"the right country at the right
In 2017, the province creattors from the U.K., America,
time with the right people and
ed the Autonomous Vehicle
Germany, Italy, all strategic
the right vision to be a signifiInnovation Network, supportinvestors who decided that
cant leader in the future of the
ed by a five-year, $80-million
Leddartech was the right place
automotive sector."
overall trend is discouraging.
fund with a demonstration
to put in over $100 million
DECLINE ... AND DEFIANCE
Automakers and supplizone in Stratford, 150 kilomeU.S.," said Frantz Saintellemy,
ers in Canada invested $330
tres west of Toronto.
the company's president.
But Mordue, the McMaster
million in R&D in
The federal
With 210 employprofessor, said this
2019, up from $213
government has
ees, LeddarTech
won't be enough to
million in 2014 but
also supported
conducts research
reverse Canada's
By DANA FLAVELLE
down from a peak of
the development
in Quebec City,
declining role as an
TORONTO CORRESPONDENT
$500 million in the
of AV technoloMontreal, Toronto
automotive manumid-2000s, accordgies. Through the
and in Lenz,
facturer.
CANADA'S SHARE OF
ing to the report
National Sciences
Austria, and Israel,
Since 2000, seven
global investment in new autotitled "Neither Core
and Engineering
Saintellemy said.
assembly plants
motive technologies is falling
Nor Periphery:
Research Council,
Canadian starthave closed, and
behind that of other countries
The Search for
it has awarded 327
ups face some tough
total vehicle outdespite its growing reputation
Competitive
grants valued at $40
challenges because
put has dropped by
as Silicon Valley North and
Advantage in the
million to univerof the country's
a third as global
the targeted incentives from
Automotive Semisities and students.
small size, said
automakers shiftgovernment, new research
periphery."
Dhillon: "We could
The Social Sciences
Jason Lee, CEO
ed more of their
suggests.
Saintellemy: In
control our own
Meanwhile,
and Humanities
of Ottawa-based
production to lowAs the global industry plac2017, about 95
future by creating
Canada's share
Research Council
SmartCone, which
er-cost countries
per cent of the
es a big bet on the future of
a Canadian
of global patents
has awarded five
helps make streets
such as Mexico.
investment in
automaker."
driverless cars and electrified
for automotive
grants totaling $5.2
safer through intelIn a bid to
FILE PHOTO
LeddarTech came
vehicles, more of the R&D dolresearch has stagmillion.
ligent infrastrucreverse or at least
from foreign
lars are being spent closer to
nated at around
The CVMA's
ture.
halt the trend,
investors.
the automakers'
500 new patents
Kingston said the
"We don't have the benefit
Canadian policyPHOTO VIA FRANTZ
headquarters in
a year. That repfuture of Canadian
of creating a product we can
makers sought to
SAINTELLEMY
the United States,
resents 0.4 per cent
automotive R&D
sell domestically. We have to
play to the counSouth Korea, Japan
of global automolies in securing its
export," Lee said. "We have to
try's strengths,
and Germany or
tive research, down
assembly plant footprint.
compete against the rest of the
focusing on the emerging marthe tech giants in
from one per cent
"If we're going to be a leadworld and their innovations."
ket for the connected car.
California, accordin 2001, Mordue's
er in the future," he said,
When Canadians do sucThe province of Ontario
ing to a pair of
research found.
"having assembly will be very
ceed, he said, they're often
earmarked $1.15 million in
reports from the
The one bright
important." - ANC
bought out by foreign inves2014 for 15 projects and $1
engineering facspot is research
3x6 CANADA Auto News Ad for SEPTEMBER 2020 publication - DUE AUG. 18!
ulty at McMaster
into autonomous
University in
vehicles, where
Hamilton, Ont.
Canada produced 30
"While there are Mordue: Despite
new patents in 2016.
pockets of interest- some successes
That represents
in auto technology
ing things going
just less than one
investment, the
on, in general,
per cent of global
Canada is not jump- overall trend
patents, according
in Canada is
ing forward with
to a separate study
discouraging.
the same speed
titled "Frontier
PHOTO VIA
as the rest of the
Technologies
GREIG MORDUE
world," said Greig
in Non-Core
Mordue, an assoAutomotive
ciate professor of engineerRegions: Autonomous Vehicle
Joe Verde Trainers...
ing and ArcelorMittal chair in
R&D in Canada."
Doug Christiansen, Joe Verde, Sean Gardner
advanced-manufacturing poliCANADIAN AUTOMAKER?
cy at McMaster.
The findings are at odds
Colin Dhillon, chief technolwith the widely held belief
ogy officer at the Automotive
that Canada - and particularParts Manufacturers'
ly Ontario - can somewhat
Association, thinks the indus1. Hope is not a strategy.
offset its declining auto-manutry has a promising future in
facturing industry by capitalCanada.
2.	 You can't save your way to a profit.
izing on expertise in informa"We have the right ingredition technology.
ents geographically placed in
3. The only way to stop falling is to stabilize
order to be global leaders and
and then start climbing again.
SUCCESS ... IN SPOTS
attractive to global automakIndustry leaders say it's too
ers wanting to build here,"
Note: Your competition will rely on 1 & 2.
early to rule out Canada's role
he said. "Or we could control
in the race to build the car of
our own future by creating
During the recession, our dealers turned lemons
the future.
a Canadian automaker. I'm
into
lemonade and some had record months and years.
General Motors, Ford
talking regularly with brand
Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler
new startups who want to
They took action, while the competition waited and hoped.
Automobiles have all
build Canada's first electrical
made major investments
vehicle."
With our JVTN® online training, 'Training on Demand' or DVDs,
in Canadian research cenTechnology company
your salespeople will have 24/7 access from your dealership or at
tres in recent years, said
LeddarTech Inc., which develBrian Kingston, president
ops sensing products that
home on their smartphone, tablet or computer to access 20+ courses
of the Canadian Vehicle
enable advanced driver appliand new content weekly to improve sales & profit.
Manufacturers' Association
cations and autonomous vehi(CVMA).
cles, said it's attracting inter"It shows Canada is having
national money to Quebec.
success in attracting that type
Those investors are drawn
of investment," Kingston said.
by the cluster of expertise in
Joe Verde Sales & Management Training, Inc. * JoeVerde.com/CANSell
But Mordue said that while
optics that grew out of the tele081820
SC CAN920
pockets of good news exist, the
com boom, the company said.

TECHNOLOGY

SPOTLIGHT

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Automotive News Canada - September 2020

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