Business and technology mission to Canada focused on the aerospace sector

Representatives of CzechInvest took part in a five-day business and technology mission to Canada from 15 May 2017. The delegation, which was led by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Vladimír Bärtl, focused on the aerospace sector and visited key institutions in Montreal and Toronto. Representatives of the Association of Aerospace Manufacturers, the companies Jihostroj, 5m and ERA, and the Aerospace Research and Test Establishment also took part in the mission.

The mission strengthened Czech-Canadian relations in the area of aerospace in terms of both commercial ties and cooperation in science and technology. As the fourth most aerospace-focused economy in the world, the Czech Republic has a lot to offer Canada in this sector. This is evidenced by the fact that the Czech Republic has played a role in the production of Bombardier C-Series aircraft and has also left its mark on Canadian research organisations through, for example, cooperation on the climatic wind tunnel at the University of Ontario.

Two B2B seminars held in Montreal and Toronto, which were attended by approximately forty Canadian firms and institutions, offered the mission participants a unique opportunity to find partners. In connection with the mission, the participants also visited leading Canadian institutions and companies including, for example, Bell Helicopter, which focuses on the commercial helicopter segment at its branch in Mirabel, and met with the company’s president. The representatives later visited the headquarters and factory of Bombardier, the world’s third-biggest commercial aircraft manufacturer, and met with the head of the Canadian Space Agency.  

CzechInvest organised the mission in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ottawa and the Consulate General in Toronto. The event was supported through projects for support of economic diplomacy.