Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) shared in a statement that it was encouraged by new measures in Budget 2024, including those aimed at supporting the manufacturing sector through the transition to a clean economy. However, the association is deeply concerned about the pace of implementation of previously announced measures, compounded by the chilling impact on manufacturing investment through increased capital tax gains. “Government must move faster and with greater clarity,” says Dennis Darby, CME president and CEO. Manufacturers are still waiting for final legislative details to ..read more

Hexagon’s Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division is strategically partnering with Dragos, a company specializing in cybersecurity for operational technology (OT). The companies have joined forces to effectively address the need for cybersecurity measures in industrial settings spurred by the rapid evolution of technology. The technical partnership focuses on integrating the complementary OT cybersecurity capabilities of the Dragos Platform and Hexagon’s PAS Cyber Integrity to provide customers with enhanced inventory data, comprehensive configuration management and intrusion detection and threa ..read more

Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales rose 0.7 percent to $71.6 billion in February, helped by higher sales of petroleum and coal. The agency says manufacturing sales were up in 13 of the 21 subsectors it tracks as petroleum and coal sales rose 4.3 percent to $8.7 billion, helped by higher prices and to a lesser extent, volumes. Sales of electrical equipment, appliance and component products rose 12.6 percent to a record $1.5 billion in February. Overall manufacturing sales in constant dollars rose 0.1 percent in February. In a separate report, Statistics Canada said wholesale sales, excl ..read more

Vancouver-based Sanctuary AI is strategically partnering with auto parts maker Magna International to support the development, deployment and scaling of general-purpose robots. This collaboration includes Sanctuary AI’s development of general-purpose AI robots for deployment in Magna’s manufacturing operations; a multi-disciplinary assessment of improving cost and scalability of robots using Magna’s automotive product portfolio, engineering and manufacturing capabilities; and a strategic equity investment by Magna. “Magna is excited to partner with Sanctuary AI in our shared mission to advance ..read more

The Ontario government is investing nearly $12 million through the province’s Regional Development Program (RDP) to support four companies in Southwestern Ontario. The companies, DS Actimo Canada, Kautex Textron, Integrity Tool & Mold and Highbury Canco are investing $125 million in total to expand their local manufacturing capacity in the automotive and food processing sectors. The investments are expected to create 153 new jobs in Windsor and Leamington. DS Actimo Canada (formerly DS C&K Inc.), a subsidiary of South Korea-based DSEV, is investing over $60 million to build a 107,000 s ..read more

Siemens AG has signed an agreement to acquire the industrial drive technology (IDT) business of ebm-papst. The business reportedly includes intelligent, integrated mechatronic systems in the protective extra-low voltage range and motion control systems. These systems are used in free-range driverless transport systems. Siemens shares that this planned acquisition will complement its Xcelerator portfolio and strengthen its position as a solutions provider for flexible production automation. “Ebm-papst’s innovative portfolio of mechatronic drive systems and its highly qualified people are an exc ..read more

Averna, a global test and quality solutions provider, has acquired ELCOM and its subsidiaries. ELCOM specializes in test and measurement, power engineering and industrial automation. In a statement regarding the acquisition, president and CEO of Averna, François Rainville said, “We are excited to welcome ELCOM into the Averna family. Their expertise and strategic positioning in the automotive/EV, energy, and machine vision markets perfectly complement our own. The diverse skillsets of the 150+ new teammates will benefit Averna’s customer base worldwide.” The acquisition of ELCOM, which include ..read more

The PTDA Foundation has opened nominations for its Wendy B. McDonald Woman of the Year Award and Robert K. Callahan Advancing Leaders Award. The Wendy B. McDonald Woman of the Year Award celebrates a woman who, regardless of her career stage, has made significant contributions to her company and the power transmission and motion control industry in 2023. The award is presented annually, when merited. The Foundation states that it will accept nominations through June 8, 2024. Award criteria can be found at PTWORKForce.org/McDonaldAward. The Robert (Bob) K. Callahan Advancing Leaders Award ackno ..read more

SCALE AI, Canada’s global innovation cluster specializing in artificial intelligence (AI), shared in a press statement that it welcomes the Government of Canada’s $2.4 billion investment announcedon April 7 to support economic growth through, among other things, greater adoption of AI by Canadian businesses. The announcement by Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, took place at SCALE AI’s offices in Montréal, in the presence of François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Soraya Marti ..read more

Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies has announced a strategic partnership with Neura Robotics, a cognitive robotics specialist. This partnership reportedly aims to revolutionize the manufacturing industry by introducing cognitive robots into factory automation, leveraging advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency, flexibility and safety. Omron shares in a press statement that unlike traditional industrial robots, cognitive robots have the ability to learn from their environment, make decisions autonomously, and adapt to dynamic production scenarios. This opens new application possibil ..read more