CAE Inc announced on Thursday it would invest $1 billion Canadian dollars over the next five years to fund a massive transformational project to develop key emerging technologies.
The Canadian aerospace firm’s investments will work jointly with the nation’s Project Resilience, which aims to build new immersive experience solutions with virtual and mixed reality (VR/MR), artificial intelligence (AI), and fresh data ecosystems across civil aviation, healthcare, and defence, among others.
The project will allow CAE to integrate such emerging technologies into electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles and reach numerous net-zero emissions targets.
CAE aims to become a leader in Advanced Air Mobility training solutions, including green light aircraft as well as end-to-end and operational support technologies.
The Montreal-based company partnered with the Canadian Government and Government of Québec, with the programme set to improve air travel safety, ready defence forces, and train medical staff.
The former government will invest C$190 million and the latter will add C$150 million, totalling C$340 million over the same period.
Canadian Prime Minister Rt Hon Justin Trudeau, Cannadian Science Minister Hon François-Philippe Champagne, Quebec Premier François Legault, and Quebec Finance Minister Éric Girard joined CAE executive and staff for the major announcement.
Marc Parent, CAE’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said the company was launching the massive research and development (R&D) investment to strengthen its position as a global leader, boost jobs, and promote “a greener, safer, and more inclusive world”.
He added:
“We are investing to position CAE to be one of the leaders in defining this emerging industry, supporting OEMs with the development, testing and certification of aircraft programs, simulation equipment and the delivery of training to the next generation of pilots and maintenance technicians”
According to the CEO, the aerospace firm required nearly 60,000 “uniquely trained professional pilots” to transport passenger and cargo with the new eVTOL vehicles.
CAE also aims to create 700 new high-skilled jobs in the country, with 600 in Quebec, with the initiative.
Global Push for XR Aerospace Solutions
The news comes as major aerospace and defence companies seek out XR training programmes to reduce training and fuel costs as well as equipment downtime.
Swedish aersospace firm Saab partnered in June with Finnish tech firm Varjo Technologies to build a new mixed reality (MR) solution for the former’s Gripen E/F training solutions.
The Stockholm-based firm designed the solution to train pilots with 3D vision with separate screens for each eye, removing the need for large flat screens and lowering operational costs.
The training simulation also increases pilot field of vision and replaces supercomputers normally used for such exercises with powerful gaming computers.
Aersospace firms also joined US hardware giant Qualcomm’s XR Enterprise Programme (XEP) along with other industires such as healthcare, automotive, energy and numerous others.
The initiative aims to boost XR adoption across such industries and provide firms with resources, marketing opportunities, business development, and others to build the 5G-backed ecosystem.
Louisiana-based King Crow Studios also announced in May it had won a $6.5 million, four-year contract with the United States Air Force (USAF) to build immersive XR training solutions for B-52 pilots.
