Investment in the University's Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Lab to advance technology and build collaboration
Federal funding of $8.2 million will enhance Waterloo’s leadership role in Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing (MSAM) and establish a collaborative consortium between post-secondary institutions and industry partners.
The Additive Manufacturing Alliance will help businesses throughout southern Ontario overcome barriers to adopting advanced manufacturing technologies by providing access to the University's specialized 3D-printing experts and equipment.
Launched in 2017, Waterloo's MSAM Lab is Canada’s most comprehensive academic research and development facility for next-generation metal additive manufacturing.
With applications across sectors including aerospace, healthcare and automotive, additive manufacturing provides a quicker, more efficient and sustainable way to prototype and manufacture a range of products.
Bardish Chagger, the minister of diversity and inclusion and youth and member of parliament for Waterloo, made the remote $8.2 million FedDev Ontario funding announcement on behalf of the Mélanie Joly, minister of economic development and official languages.
The new alliance will support more than 90 businesses to commercialize approximately 30 advanced manufacturing technologies, create and maintain over 275 jobs, and provide training and outreach opportunities for about 1,500 students, research associates and industry personnel.
The collaborative group's goal is to expand MSAM’s geographical reach beyond Kitchener-Waterloo and the Greater Toronto Area with new participating companies from across southwestern Ontario.
Mary Wells, dean of Waterloo Engineering, said she is grateful for the support of the government and industry collaborators and proud of the hard work of Waterloo's additive manufacturing research team.
"The strength of the MSAM lab is underpinned by its industrial connections, motivated researchers and staff, and world-class facilities and equipment," she said. "Building on these strengths, the Additive Manufacturing Alliance announced today will enable the scale up of Ontario's additive manufacturing ecosystem. I'm just so excited about it and so proud."
