R&D Spending On Upward Trend
StatCan recently released a report indicating the direction research and development (R&D) spending by businesses in the industrial sector has been going over the past several years. With anticipated spending of $15.5 billion in industrial R&D in 2012 (an increase of 0.9% from 2011), there is a positive outlook for R&D spending for the new […]
Canadian Manufacturing Outlook 2012: Optimism
A recent study indicates a sense of optimism within Canada’s manufacturing sector. The survey, “Canadian Manufacturing Outlook 2012: Push and Pull – Reducing Costs and Investing in Innovation,” is based on input from senior Canadian manufacturing executives and indicates a positive outlook across the industry. According to StatsCan, manufacturing accounts for over 7 percent of […]
Summer SR&ED activities
In a recent article, Ross Cooper of Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) discussed how the slow days of summer are ripe for SR&ED activities as companies are slowing or shutting down production and attending to pesky ongoing production, machinery and process issues as well as integrating improvements to increase efficiency for the rest of the […]
Canada’s Strong Manufacturing Performance
The RBC Purchasing Managers Index shows that Canadian factory orders rose in June, inching up to 54.8- its highest level since last September. The report found that both output and new orders rose strongly in June, even with the ongoing eurozone crisis’ dampening effects on the global economy. Manufacturing employment increased for the fifth successive month, […]
NorthBridge & EMC Canada team up for successful SR&ED review sessions
Earlier in June, NorthBridge paired up with Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) Canada to host a series manufacturing seminar in Atlantic Canada. The information sessions focused on how to best prepare for a SR&ED review and create a “culture of SR&ED” within your company to maximize success with the program. EMC also posted an account […]
EVERY DROP COUNTS: Green Week Conference 2012 – Conserving water through innovation.
Water is essential for sustaining life, as well as our economy. With less than one percent of the world’s fresh water currently accessible for direct human use, water supplies are now a major global concern impacting not only our daily lives but also our business strategies. Throughout last week, thousands of individuals had gathered for […]
Reactions to The U.S. Bioeconomy Blueprint: Innovation and concerns loom on the horizon.
The 2012 U.S. National Bioeconomy Blueprint was announced on April 26th with the purpose of assessing strategic objectives to maximise on the U.S. bioeconomy potential and to highlight ongoing efforts to meet those objectives. However, many are concerned that the blueprint predominantly focuses on economic development while insufficiently addressing regulations to minimise social and environmental impact. The […]
CMC Urges Federal Government to Reconsider Changes to SR&ED Program
In a letter to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition (CMC) addressed concerns about recent changes to the SR&ED program. 1. Reducing the SR&ED Investment Tax Credit (ITC) rate from 20% to 15% will directly and negatively affect Canada’s top R&D performers. 2. Eliminating capital expenditures from eligible expenses will significantly and negatively […]
CME-SMART Prosperity Now Program
The CME-SMART Prosperity Now program provides funding to manufacturers in South Ontario who commercialize technologies, enter new markets, invest in renewable energy, improve efficiency, and invest in manufacturing efficiencies. In January, FedDev Ontario announced that it would contribute $18.9 million to support Smart Prosperity Now. SMART provides: 1. Up to 33 percent of costs for productivity […]
A Third Industrial Revolution Will Take Manufacturing Digital
The Economist featured a special report on manufacturing and innovation. According to Paul Markillie, as manufacturing goes digital, smaller runs and massive customizations will be the key to customer satisfaction. The reshoring of manufacturing into North America may be driven by several factors, including: – The rising costs of transportation from oversea suppliers – The shortening of supply chain […]