Province Partnering with Small and Medium-Sized Businesses to Increase Productivity
Ontario is partnering with small and medium-sized auto parts companies to help them invest in technology and grow their business.
The province will partner with 21 auto parts companies to support projects that will help companies adopt industry-leading software, hardware and/or provide training to improve processes and boost competitiveness in Ontario through the Automotive Supplier Competitiveness Improvement Program (ASCIP).
These projects support:
- Investment in special planning and management software that helps companies manage workflow, inventory and tenders for projects
- Advanced 3D scanning and printing technology that facilitates the design and fabrication of more complicated components
- Computer Aided Design (CAD) and custom robotics systems that reduce costs and improve quality.
The auto parts companies the province is partnering with on these projects are among the hundreds of Ontario businesses that play an integral role in the North American automotive supply chain. The auto sector is a critically important part of Ontario’s economy, and its success relies on free trade and open borders. The province will continue to protect Ontario auto workers in the face of uncertainty and defend Ontario’s position in the North American automotive sector.
Boosting auto industry competiveness is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.
Quick Facts
- Ontario is investing more than $1.8 million through ASCIP. The contributions from the companies and their partners bring the combined overall value of the projects to almost $6.5 million.
- The program is administered by Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) in conjunction with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA).
- Ontario is the only subnational jurisdiction in North America with five global automotive assemblers — Fiat-Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda and Toyota — as well as truck manufacturer Hino.
- The province’s auto assembly plants are supported by an advanced and integrated Ontario supply chain that comprises over 700 part suppliers and over 500 tool, die and mould makers.
- Vehicle assembly and auto parts production directly supports more than 100,000 jobs in Ontario, with hundreds of thousands more spin-off jobs across the province.
- Ontario assembly plants produced almost 15 per cent of North American vehicle production over the last 5 years.
Background Information
Additional Resources
Quotes
“These projects will help keep Ontario’s auto parts sector at the leading edge of product innovation and industry competitiveness. Effective partnership between industry and government is essential to supporting constant innovation and training to stay ahead in the globally-competitive auto sector.”
“The automotive parts sector is a key economic driver for Ontario and highly competitive globally. The innovative projects funded through the Automotive Supplier Competitiveness Improvement Program will help Ontario companies adopt new technologies and drive operational excellence to maintain Ontario’s position in the global supply chain.”
Dr. Tom Corr
“Our members recognize that continual investment in productivity and innovation is essential to meet the challenges of increasingly complex vehicles and intense global competition. The Automotive Supplier Competitiveness Improvement Program supports the technology and process upgrades that will help keep Ontario’s automotive supply chain strong.”
Flavio Volpe
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