Aerospace and Defence

The sector is positioned for growth in Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2010, Newfoundland and Labrador companies generated over $700 million in revenue opportunity. With a rich history of global military involvement and aerospace aviation / transportation firsts, the province has continued to work diligently with industry partners to develop this evolving sector.

Newfoundland and Labrador has played a vital logistical role in international military activity through military bases in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Stephenville, Pleasantville and Argentia. It is also well known for its contributions to the development of civil aviation via transoceanic flight activity through Gander, and for marine transportation via the ports of St. John's and Corner Brook.

Industry

  • Home to approximately 30 knowledge-intensive, small and medium-sized enterprises developing innovative products and services for niche markets in Canada, the United States, Central and South America and Europe.
  • Current industry products and services include: aircraft modification; systems integration; marine surveillance; manufacturing and assembly of aircraft components; aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul; navigation and communication systems; marine and flight training programs, including simulation; and research and development opportunities, including unmanned vehicle systems (UVS) and marine acoustic applications.
  • The Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador is comprised of 18 firms representing in excess of 1300 direct related employees.

Infrastructure

  • Ideally located between North America and Europe, and a strategic location for access to the Arctic.
  • Seven airports (four international), offering the latest in navigation systems, a full range of services and unrestricted airfield capacity.
  • Numerous strategically located deep water ports with year-round accessibility, offering shipbuilding potential and opportunities in manufacturing, transshipping and marine logistic services.
  • The capital city of St. John's is less than three and a half hours flying time from New York or Toronto and less than five hours from London England, making it convenient to do business with the world's largest markets.
  • State of the art military facilities at 5 Wing Goose Bay, including 130,000 square kilometres of air training space ideal for training, experimentation and deployment activities.
  • Canadian Forces Search and Rescue
  • Nav Canada's North Atlantic Area Control Centre
  • Expertise in Oil & Gas and Ocean technologies.

Education and Research

  • Memorial University, the largest university on Canada's east coast, has more than 17,000 full and part-time students enrolled and grants degrees annually in disciplines such as Information Technology, Engineering, Science and Business.
  • Memorial's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science is home to a laboratory in Autonomous Systems and has significant research strengths in robotics and automations, particularly for harsh environment applications of underwater, underground and aerial robotic vehicles.
  • The National Research Council of Canada and the Marine Institute provide modern research and development facilities.
  • College of the North Atlantic, one of the largest post-secondary educational and skills training centres in Atlantic Canada, has 17 campus locations throughout the province and one in the Middle East State of Qatar. It offers a full range of technical and customized training programs.
  • The Aviation Division of the College of the North Atlantic delivers programs in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technology and Aircraft Structural Repair.
  • Gander Flight Training school offers a full range of private and commercial pilot licenses, both fixed wing and rotary aircraft.
  • Innovative companies such as Provincial Aerospace Limited, in cooperation with Industry Canada and Memorial University, are developing leading-edge technologies in unmanned marine, land and aerial systems.
  • The Newfoundland and Labrador Research and Development Council (RDC) is a new Crown entity created to enhance the province's research and development capacity.

Opportunities

  • Focus on building on existing capabilities, sector clustering, industrial regional benefits and research and development activities.
  • Aircraft modification, Maintenance Repair and Overall (MRO), Part Manufacturing and Assembly (PMA), aircraft disassembly, shipbuilding and support services.
  • Aviation and marine sector training enhancement, including simulation.
  • Emerging sector growth including Unmanned Vehicle Systems (UVS), Remote Operating Vehicles (ROV), simulation, sonar and acoustic developments.
  • Cross-sector opportunities that encompass aviation and marine, defence and homeland security, as well as space and subsea sectors. Marine simulation and UVS / ROV systems provide overlapping opportunities. 3D Acoustic technologies have multi-sector application.
  • Arctic developments and opportunities with Arctic Sovereignty, including maritime surveillance, defence operations and transportation logistic activities.

Labour
Newfoundland and Labrador boasts a highly-skilled, productive and stable workforce. For more information, Click Here.

Incentives
There are a number of business and tax incentives available to businesses looking to locate to or expand in the province. For more information, Click Here.