CME launches Ontario-based manufacturing initiative

Industrie 2030, a new project by Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), aims to create the business conditions in Ontario to support the doubling of manufacturing output to $600 billion by 2030.

“Ontario manufacturers are at the forefront of global competition, innovation, and technological change. To compete with the world’s best, they require a business climate that is equally world-class. But Ontario is losing ground to international competitors that have been moving aggressively to attract investment, create high-paying jobs, and grow their value-added manufacturing base, and we are at risk of missing out on the opportunities created by modern advanced manufacturing,” said Dennis Darby, president and CEO of CME.

The CME’s recommendations are focused on addressing the three critical needs of Ontario’s manufacturing sector:

1. Create a competitive business environment in Ontario that, through tax and regulatory reform and lower electricity prices, reduces business costs and encourages growth and production.

2. Address current skill shortages, improve technical skills training of youth, and increase support for industry-led training and skills-development initiatives.

3. Introduce policies and support programs to assist companies with scale-up, technology adoption, and product commercialization.

“At Alps, our biggest challenge in our effort to grow is the shortage of skilled people to work in our engineering and fabrication areas. CME’s strategy, if implemented, will help to bridge that gap, and with the right skills available, will allow us to make the investments in machinery, process, and facilities we need to scale up and continue to compete internationally,” said Dennis Dussin, president of Alps Welding, Woodbridge, Ont.