On July 11, 2019, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, along with Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, announced a FedDev Ontario contribution of $14 million to expand the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI). Approximately $1.425 million will be given to McMaster Engineering over the course of five years.
Established in 2016 with a $7.3-million contribution from FedDev Ontario, SONAMI is a network of seven post-secondary institutions, including McMaster University, that combines the resources and expertise of its members and matches them to the needs of smaller manufacturers. This enables them to adopt cutting-edge technologies to increase productivity and create innovative new products, grow and diversify their businesses into new markets and have a more competitive edge.
The recent announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario.
“The McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) and its industry partners are pleased to collaborate with SONAMI on projects of strategic importance to Canada and its manufacturing sector,” says Stephen Veldhuis, professor and director of MMRI. “This new investment will enhance McMaster Engineering’s ability to contribute the broad range of expertise and knowledge needed to build Canada’s reputation as a global leader in manufacturing.”
With new funding, SONAMI will expand its geographic reach by adding three new post-secondary institutions and allow companies to connect to a broader range of expertise and knowledge in areas such as bio-industrial manufacturing, green product manufacturing and “Industry 4.0” technologies, including digitally enabled and intelligent manufacturing.
The expanded network will provide technical knowledge and expertise to another 240 businesses as they work to commercialize up to 240 new products. The project will create and maintain 552 permanent jobs and provide skills training and development for up to 360 students and researchers, preparing young Canadians for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
Led by Niagara College, the SONAMI partnership includes McMaster University, Mohawk College, Sheridan College, Conestoga College, Fanshawe College and Lambton College.
