The mission from Québec has moved between Milan, Turin and Rome, strengthening the dialogue and links between the Canadian and Italian clusters

 

*Francesca Paolucci

 

The Italy-Canada relations, consolidated in 2017 by an exchange of institutional visits, are also strengthened in aerospace, a sector that in Canada is worth about 28 billion dollars of GDP and generates over 87 thousand jobs (2016 AIAC data).

Italy had the opportunity to welcome an entrepreneurial mission coming from Québec, the Canadian province that according to the data of the main economic indicators seems to be the most advanced, contributing, with a 394 million dollars of GDP, to 20% of GDP Canadian. The delegation, with representatives of the Canadian industrial cluster Aéro Montréal, was welcomed in Milan, where a seminar was held in the suggestive 31st floor of the Pirelli skyscraper and a comparison with the corresponding Lombard cluster; she then moved to Turin for the international "Aerospace & Defense" meeting and ended her trip to Rome, attending a conference organized at the Embassy of Canada in Italy and meeting the Lazio industrial realities.

 

The mission started last 27 November, with the seminar "International Cooperation between Aerospace Clusters to Forge Partnership between SMEs", organized by the Lombardy Region and Québec, with the support of the Cluster Aéro Montréal and the Lombardy Aerospace Cluster. The Lombardy Region is a consolidated partner of Québec: in 2014 it signed, with Catalunya, Rhone Alpes and Baden Württemberg, a Declaration of Partnership, thanks to which the 'four driving forces of Europe' have acquired the opportunity to participate in international cooperation projects with the Canadian province. The participation of entrepreneurial missions in the debate on the themes of internationalization and collaboration between Italian and Canadian aerospace production systems follows, therefore, a path of political-diplomatic actions, undertaken over the years, with the aim of creating an integrated network between industrial clusters and a growth in trade also in research and innovation. The Canadian expertise in aerospace, moreover, is very important for Italy and for the challenges that are announced in the sector. The seminar at Palazzo Pirelli was, therefore, an opportunity for a comparison between the main international operators on the role of research, training and internationalization models in transatlantic relations, without leaving out an excursus on the best practices of the present clusters.

During his stay in Lombardy, the Canadian delegation experienced the Italian industrial reality by visiting a company in the Lombardy cluster: Aerea SpA of Turate, an Italian company with entirely private capital that has been operating in the aerospace sector for many years.

 

The delegation, led by Suzanne Benoit, President of the Aéro Montréal cluster, then continued the mission on the Italian territory towards Turin, to take part in the sixth edition of the international business convention for the aerospace and defense industry, in which a workshop space was dedicated to present the Québec aerospace industry to the representatives of the international clusters present, giving companies the opportunity to dialogue. The Turin meeting, which took place from 28 to 30 November, saw the presence of international players in the sector including Leonardo, the Italian leader for technological-innovative solutions for the industry and industrial supporters of the 2017 edition of the meeting, which also hosted Canadian delegates at the headquarters of the Electronics Division on the morning of December 1st.

 

At the conclusion of the Canadian business mission, the Embassy of Canada and the Delegation of Québec in Rome in collaboration with Export Québec and Lazio Innova organized a seminar with the interventions of the Canadian Ambassador in Italy, Alexandra Bugailiskis, by Jan Scazighino , Minister Economic and Trade Counselor of the Embassy and Luigi Campitelli, Director of the Internationalization, Networks and Studies Area of Lazio Innova. The Quebec delegation presented the Aéro Montréal cluster, in the presence of the aerospace industry chain in the Lazio Region. A B2B session was also organized, in collaboration with the Lazio Innova Regional Authority, which works to support the internationalization of companies in the Lazio Region.

The seminar emphasized the competitive advantages offered by the Canadian industry, the innovation support programs provided at provincial and federal level, the support for training and the strengthening of specialized human capital, as well as the provisions concerning immigration to Canada for work reasons through the presentation of Jennifer Woo, First Secretary of the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

 

The entire travel itinerary of the delegation was followed and coordinated by the representation of Québec in Rome and by the delegate Marianna Simeone, who is a spokesperson for Canadian interests in Italy and who promotes initiatives aimed at raising awareness of the value and opportunities offered by Québec.

The companies of Québec, represented in the aerospace business delegation, were: AAA Canada, Alphacasting Inc., Bombardier, CAE, Créaform, Conseil Économique et Tourisme Haut-Richelieu, Icam Technologies Corporation, Netur Inc., Placetco Inc.

 

                                                                                                        

                                                          * Coordination and research Centro Studi Italia-Canada