Minister Bains promotes strong and unified North American automotive sector to benefit both Canada and the U.S.

Minister Bains attends 2018 North American International Auto Show to promote NAFTA and trade

OTTAWA, Jan. 12, 2018 /CNW/ - Canada's automotive sector is uniquely positioned to design, develop and produce the cars of the future. A skilled workforce combined with deep expertise in both advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies position Canada to play a leadership role as the industry evolves. Leveraging these advantages as part of a deeply integrated North American auto sector serves to create and maintain highly skilled jobs on both sides of the border. This is the message that the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, will underscore in his meetings with key automotive sector executives at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.

As a part of this trip, Minister Bains will announce significant Strategic Innovation Fund investments in the Canadian automotive sector that will help to create and maintain thousands of highly skilled jobs across the country.

The Minister will also participate in an announcement with BlackBerry highlighting Canadian innovation in the auto sector. The announcement will take place at AutoMobili-D, an exposition at the auto show dedicated to the rapidly evolving merger between mobile technology and cars.

Minister Bains will also attend the 17th Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council, an industry-led group that addresses competitiveness issues facing the sector.

Throughout the trip, Minister Bains will promote Canada as a world-leading destination for automotive investment and a strategic player in global supply chains. He will also underscore the importance of Canadians and Americans working together in the auto sector, which benefits both countries. Cooperation on both sides of the border encourages the creation of new jobs and business opportunities, which leads to new, emerging technologies.

Quote
"Canada's strengths in automotive innovation?our ideas and talented workforce?are playing a key role in shaping the future of the auto industry in North America. These advantages further strengthen an integrated American and Canadian automotive supply chain."
? The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

Quick facts

• The automotive manufacturing sector contributes $19 billion to Canada's gross domestic product.
• The Canadian automotive sector is one of Canada's largest manufacturing sectors. It employs over 500,000 people directly and indirectly, and for every job created on an assembly line, six additional jobs are created in other sectors of the economy.
• Canada's automotive industry produces more than 2.4 million vehicles every year. This translates into one car being manufactured every 13 seconds.
• Canada is home to around 700 suppliers of traditional automotive components and hundreds more suppliers from other industries, such as information and communications technologies.
• The Strategic Innovation Fund is a flexible program that reflects the diversity of innovation in all sectors of the economy.

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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada