Creating an integrated automotive, aerospace and advanced manufacturing network

  • Recipient: McMaster University
  • Region: Hamilton, ON
  • Funding Received: $10 million

An electric vehicle charging at a station

This investment from FedDev Ontario will help iHub achieve great things by connecting our manufacturers and SMEs, providing training and access to technology, and commercializing new products.

David Farrar,
President of McMaster University

Stay Connected
Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Instagram YouTube

Having a space to create is essential for an inventor. As is the ability to consult with other like-minded people and experts in the field. What about connecting with manufacturers that could really use your creation? Or access to training? These are all crucial components of success. What if there was a place that provided access to all of these resources for entrepreneurs and SMEs in the field of automotive and aerospace electrification and manufacturing? There now is.

With $10 million in support from FedDev Ontario leveraging $16.8 million from industry partners, McMaster University is establishing iHub. This university-based integrated automotive, aerospace and advanced manufacturing network will be home to a space for SMEs to develop, test and commercialize the latest technologies required for the production of next-generation electric and autonomous vehicles, and energy-efficient and intelligent aircraft. It's where industry and university researchers will connect with large automotive and aerospace manufacturers that require these solutions.

The project is expected to support more than 230 SMEs, spanning the automotive corridor from Windsor to Oshawa, facilitate the commercialization of 100 products and services and support up to 170 direct jobs. iHub will also provide direct industry training for 200 personnel, helping keep our local workforce on the cutting edge. This one-stop-shop will help position Hamilton – and southern Ontario in general – at the global forefront for electric automotive and aerospace technologies.

Not only is this great news for SMEs and the aerospace and automotive sectors, but it also comes with environmental benefits. The integration of clean, advanced technologies will help to advance the shift toward electrification in the automotive and aerospace sectors, setting us on the path to a net-zero future.

As automotive and aerospace companies pivot towards the use of greener technology, iHub will provide access to the necessary expertise and resources in electrification to support this evolution.

iHub will be the newest addition to the McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) — a bridge between academia and industry – and the core of Hamilton's innovation ecosystem. FedDev Ontario provided $11.5 million to support the establishment of the McMaster Automotive Resource Center (MARC), a globally-unique facility supporting the development of next-generation vehicles, as well as $1.2 million to support The Forge business incubator—both located at MIP .

"McMaster University has a successful track record of partnering with industry and we're grateful for the opportunity to advance our work with Canadian manufacturers in automotive and aerospace electrification through iHub," says David Farrar, President of McMaster University "This investment from FedDev Ontario will help iHub achieve great things by connecting our manufacturers and SMEs, providing training and access to technology, and commercializing new products."

iHub is driving the way for businesses and workers in electrification, and the future is green and bright.

View more stories