In response to the federal government’s announcement late last year that it will purchase up to 16 P-8A Poseidon multi-mission aircraft, Boeing announced earlier this week that it will invest $240 million in Quebec aviation and aerospace enterprises. Included are investments in Héroux-Devtek and Wisk Aero. Also part of the package is funding for a state-of-the-art aerospace development centre.
“With this important investment, Boeing is helping to strengthen Canada’s position as a global aerospace supply chain leader, driving innovation and creating high-quality jobs for Canadian workers,” said federal industry minister François-Philippe Champagne. The investment will form a major component of an aerospace hub the federal and Quebec governments are promoting.
Wisk Aero, a Boeing-owned company based in California that is building autonomous eVTOL air taxis and has an engineering hub in Montreal, will receive a $95 million cash injection from Boeing towards the development of their 6th generation aircraft.
Héroux-Devtek, a world-leading landing gear designer and manufacturer, renowned for supplying the landing gear for the landing module of Apollo 11, the first manned moon-landing spacecraft, will receive a $35 million grant that will fund further research and development in next-gen landing gear.
The remaining Boeing funds, $110 million, will go towards the creation of an aerospace development centre that will focus research on electrification, autonomy, advanced materials, decarbonatization and digitalization of the aviation and aerospace industries, according to a press release.
Boeing is committed to invest a total of $5.4 billion over 10 years as part of the federal government’s Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) requirement in exchange for the P-8 Poseidon purchase contract.