The Federal Government has announced a $5 million investment to support additive manufacturing developments in Western Canada.
The funds will be used to support the Orthopaedic Innovation Centre (OIC) to develop an Advanced Digital Manufacturing Hub (ADMH) to meet the prototyping and commercialization needs of Canadian businesses. The funding is from the government’s Western Economic Diversification department.
The investment will go towards the purchase of metal additive manufacturing equipment by the OIC, which will aide in the testing, development, precision measurement, and fabrication of advanced orthopaedic materials and technologies.
This funding represents one component within a larger strategic project that will see OIC partner with Stratasys, a world-renowned additive manufacturing company, to establish its first Canadian presence in Winnipeg.
“Additive manufacturing allows engineers and surgeons at OIC to design medical devices that will also allow for patient specific solutions in ways that were not possible with conventional manufacturing methods,” says Michelle Rempel, the Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, who made the annoucement. “The Advanced Digital Manufacturing Hub is a unique opportunity for OIC and its strategic partners to create a factory of the future. Partners including Stratasys, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, Magellan Aerospace, EOS of North America, Western Economic Diversification, and the Province of Manitoba will accelerate the path of commercializing additively manufactured end products made from specialized metal powders and polymer materials for both the medical and aerospace industries in Manitoba and the rest of Canada.”
“Stratasys Direct Manufacturing aims to expand access to 3D printing in and across Canada. By establishing local presence in Winnipeg and leveraging strategic partnerships with organizations like the Orthopedic Innovation Center, we look forward to driving the innovation and commercialization of new applications in the medical and aerospace markets using additive technologies,” says Jim Bartel, senior vice president of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing Inc.
“Partnering with the Orthopaedic Innovation Centre allows us to bring industrial 3D printing to a team of renowned surgeons, scientists, engineers, and technologists to offer innovative research and products for both medical and aerospace applications. These types of relationships are scalable across all of Canada and provide opportunities that will enhance our world,” says Andrew Snow, senior vice president, EOS of North America Inc
