The electric transport sector is good for the aerospace cluster
Quebec’s electric transport sector
Quebec’s government hopes to develop the electric transport sector in order to position itself as a leader in this industry. It must be said that Quebec has an exceptional combination of resources: renewable energy in large quantities, raw materials such as lithium, graphite, titanium, phosphate, cobalt, an artificial intelligence cluster and some transport vehicle manufacturer. We must also add a well-structured research and development network and a culture of innovation.
So, Quebec has in hand all the elements necessary for its electric transport sector to impose itself on the world level. It goes without saying that the Quebec government’s interest in this industry also translates into financial support. But could that possibly hurt the aerospace cluster? Not according to the president of Jaunt Air Mobily of Canada Mr. Éric Côté. The latter was attending the supply chain summit organized by Aéro Montréal last week.
The link with aerospace
Mr. Côté is a veteran of the aerospace industry, and he knows the Quebec cluster well. He explained that the development of the electricity transport sector in Quebec is a good thing for the aerospace cluster. First, because almost all urban air mobility projects use electricity as a source of energy. He therefore welcomes the arrival of a supply chain close to the final assembly line location.
Mr. Côté also explained that currently, the energy density of batteries does not allow the design of large commercial aircraft. But for him, it is obvious that in the next 20 years storage capacity will increase considerably. It will then be possible to have medium-haul electric airliners of more than 100 passengers. At that point, the Quebec aerospace industry will be able to take full advantage of the presence of an electric supply chain.
In addition to the use of electrical energy, the decarbonization of land transport requires artificial intelligence. This is another area in which the aerospace industry is investing in order to develop zero emission aircraft. This is one more reason to support the electric transport sector.
The smart electric transport cluster
Propulsion Québec leads the smart electric transportation cluster in the province. It brings together 147 active companies that contribute $1.3 billion to Quebec’s GDP and export $830 million in products. This nascent sector is expected to experience strong growth over the next decade. Remember that several governments have chosen to ban the sale of new gasoline vehicles in 2035.
It is therefore obvious that the success of this cluster in Quebec will help its aerospace industry. This is a sector that I intend to monitor more closely in the coming years.
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