Just days before spring, shovels digging into the ground at the College’s Welland Campus marked an official beginning for the construction of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre.
Finance minister Charles Sousa visited the College for the groundbreaking ceremony on March 18, 2015.
“The manufacturing sector is critical to our prosperity and that’s why we are investing in the sector’s future by helping to build the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre. We are also investing in these Niagara College students, who will go on to be highly skilled workers and contribute to Ontario’s success,” said Sousa. “Smart investments like these are part of our economic plan to make Ontario a better place to live, work and invest.”
With support from a $4.2 million provincial investment, the new, permanent, high-tech manufacturing centre will provide students with more than 15,000 square feet of lab space for hands-on applied learning, innovation space for companies to work onsite and office space for Niagara students and industry staff.
The centre will also help Ontario’s small and medium-sized manufacturers – more than 850 are in the Niagara region alone – save on production costs and reduce production time by providing them access to leading-edge equipment and state-of-the-art research facilities as well as the expertise and business services of faculty and students.
“Supporting business innovation and postsecondary education is a key part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario,” said college president Dan Patterson. “The four-point plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic and supportive environment where business thrives and building a secure savings plan so everyone can afford to retire.”
Advanced manufacturing innovation programs began in May 2013, led by Niagara College Research and Innovation.
“Ontario’s people are its greatest asset and our government remains committed to investing in their talent and skills,” said Reza Moridi, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.
This Centre’s collaborative focus helps give students important real-world experience and connects them with area manufacturers, and this permanent home will connect everyone with world-class equipment and an innovative spirit that will benefit the entire region for decades to come.”
