Le Bourget (France), June 20, 2017 – Aéro Montréal, the Québec aerospace cluster, has signed a tripartite collaboration agreement with the Portuguese cluster: Association for the Aeronautics, Space and Defense Industries, and the Ontario cluster, Ontario Aerospace Council.

The purpose of this agreement will be to promote closer links among Canadian and Portuguese companies. It will provide opportunities for networking and exchanges among the companies in the three clusters.

“This is an historic agreement that will strengthen the product and service offering of our companies on both the Canadian and the Portuguese side,” says Suzanne M. Benoît, President of Aéro Montréal. “The links between Europe and Canada are very important. For example, Canada is one of the few countries outside of Europe to have signed a collaboration agreement to become a member of the European Space Agency. We need to capitalize on this strength, which gives us a competitive advantage vis-à-vis other countries.”

The Portuguese cluster has already developed partnerships with the Montréal Aerospace Institute (MAI) as part of collaborative projects between universities and companies. “These are the kinds of initiatives that we want to encourage by developing this alliance,” says Ms. Benoît. “Research and development is the driving force of our industry. Canadian companies, research centers and universities will have every incentive to pursue their collaborations with the various institutions of the Portuguese cluster, which is internationally recognized for its expertise in ocean and space matters.”

Aéro Montréal has signed three strategic collaboration agreements at the Paris Air Show, including an agreement with the French SAFE Cluster and the South Korean aerospace cluster Gyeongnam Technopark.

About Aéro Montréal

Created in 2006, Aéro Montréal is a strategic think tank that groups all major decision makers in Québec’s aerospace sector, including companies, educational and research institutions, as well as associations and unions.

Aéro Montréal’s mission is to engage Québec's aerospace cluster with a view to increasing its growth and expansion on the global scene. Its vision is to become a benchmark in global aerospace. To this end, it champions the following values: excellence, engagement, collaboration, versatility and innovation.

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Information:

Gwenaël Brisé

Manager, Communications and Media Relations

Aéro Montréal

Off.: 514 987-9395 | cell.: 438 497-3857

gwenael.brise@aeromontreal.ca