Sherbrooke, Quebec, March 17, 2026 – Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)

Today, the Honorable Élisabeth Brière, Member of the National Assembly for Sherbrooke and Deputy Government Whip, accompanied by Marianne Dandurand, Member of the National Assembly for Compton –Stanstead, on behalf of the Honorable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for CED, announced CED funding totaling $2,830,800 to support two projects in the Eastern Townships region under the Regional Defense Investment Initiative for Quebec (IRID). Canada is strengthening its long-term security and prosperity through investments and targets aimed at building a stronger and more resilient defence industrial base.

The recipients are the University of Sherbrooke and the BRP-University of Sherbrooke Advanced Technology Center. This funding from the DEC will enable them to increase their productivity and enhance their capacity for innovation.

The University de Sherbrooke, which is dedicated to teaching, research, and technology transfer, has received a non-repayable grant of $2,005,200. This funding will enable the university to stimulate innovation and promote technology transfer in the advanced technologies sector to Canadian companies whose products and services are aimed, among other things, at the defense market.

For its part, the Advanced Technology Center BRP-Université de Sherbrooke, an organization that provides support to businesses in the areas of innovation and technology transfer, is receiving a non-repayable grant of $825,600 from DEC. This support will enable the center to acquire equipment to foster innovative development in vehicle engineering among Canadian companies whose products and services target, among other sectors, the defense market.

A strong defence industry is essential to the country’s sovereignty and national security, as well as to its economic resilience and long-term prosperity. As such, the Government of Canada is taking bold steps to foster a more resilient and sustainable defence industrial base, including through targeted regional investments designed to increase Canada’s defence industrial capacity.

“SMEs are at the heart of regional economic development and play a vital role in our government’s plan to build, protect, and strengthen Canada’s defense industry. Through the Regional Defense Investment Initiative, CED is making strategic investments that help the University of Sherbrooke and the BRP-University of Sherbrooke Advanced Technology Center drive research and innovation in the defense sector and create high-quality jobs. “Our government has a clear and ambitious plan to strengthen Canada’s sovereignty, security, and prosperity, while generating economic benefits for industry and communities across Quebec.”

The Honorable Mélanie Joly, Member of Parliament for Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Minister of Industry, and Minister responsible for DEC

“This support from Canada Economic Development enables the CTA to take a significant step forward in the development of dual-use technologies with potential applications in both the civilian and defense sectors. It also supports the establishment of our three research chairs in partnership with BRP and the University of Sherbrooke, thereby strengthening a world-class innovation ecosystem right here in Quebec.”

Éric Charlebois, Executive Director, CTA.

KEY FACTS

• As announced in the 2025 Budget, initial investments have been made to support Canada’s defense industrial base by allocating $6.6 billion over five years starting in 2025–2026, as part of the future Defense Industrial Strategy.

• These initial investments will stimulate research and innovation, strengthen domestic supply chains, and improve access to funding for Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises in the defense sector.

• It is in this context that the Honorable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for CED, announced on December 8, 2025, the implementation of the Regional Defense Investment Initiative for Quebec (IRID), aimed at meeting the country’s defense needs while stimulating regional economic development. In Quebec, the IRID has an investment budget of $64.9 million over three years.

• IRID funding is provided under CED’s Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (CERI) program. This program is aimed at entrepreneurs who leverage innovation to grow their businesses and strengthen their competitiveness, as well as regional economic stakeholders who help create an entrepreneurial ecosystem conducive to innovation and growth for all, in all regions.

• By leveraging DEC’s expertise and strong regional presence in Quebec in the area of innovation support, IRID will strengthen Canada’s defense industrial base across the country while helping Canada meet its NATO defense spending commitments.

Official press release available online in french (PDF).

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For over 10 years, the CTA has participated in various aerospace projects, including the most recent one, the Lunar Utility Vehicle (LUV), and is continuing to develop an innovative suspension system for lunar rovers.

It was a great honor to welcome the Canadian Space Agency team and its President, Lisa Campbell, last week. This visit highlighted the strength of the university-industry collaboration model that drives us. A model that enables the development and accessibility of emerging technologies that contribute to the success of Canadian companies while training the next generation of engineering experts.

Thank you for this visit, which underscores the CTA’s role in developing cutting-edge technologies for lunar exploration!

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The announcement made on July 29 confirms that part of the Canadian lunar rover will be designed right here in Sherbrooke, at CTA BRP-UdeS, in collaboration with the MDA team.

We are proud to contribute to this historic mission for Canada, where local innovation will help shape the exploration of tomorrow.

Congratulations to all the partners involved in this major project—from our region all the way to the surface of the Moon.

Official press release from MDA Space available on their website.

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Thank you to the approximately 50 people who came to explore our facilities and learn about our teams’ expertise, as well as attend a highly relevant panel discussion on the importance of collaboration between industry and academia for the development of specialized projects and resources!

Thank you to the panelists: Désirée Tremblay, Gabriel Pouliot, and Luc G. Fréchette, as well as Thierry St-Cyr, Eng., for moderating.

The post The CTA welcomes members of InnovÉÉ to the Rendez-vous connectÉÉ event appeared first on CTA.

“The CTA team is honored by this tangible recognition from the Government of Canada through the grant provided by CED. We are extremely motivated by the challenges that lie ahead in the coming years in an industry undergoing rapid transformation and evolution. This government support will enable us to better meet the needs of Quebec and Canadian businesses, while training a highly skilled workforce. ” Pascal Ranger, Executive Director, CTA.

Thank you to Mr. Yves Lavoie, Regional Director of DEC; Ms. Christelle Lefèvre, MBA, Chair of the Economic Development Committee (on behalf of Évelyne Beaudin, Mayor of Sherbrooke); the office of Ms. Élisabeth Brière; and our distinguished guests who attended this important announcement: Jean-François Lambert, Chair of the CTA Board of Directors, and Benjamin Anctil, representative of the Business Partnerships Group at the Université de Sherbrooke.

Official press release available online via the Government of Canada website: https://www.canada.ca/en/economic-development-quebec-regions/news/2023/08/government-of-canada-supports-innovation-efforts-at-centre-de-technologies-avancees-brp—universite-de-sherbrooke.html

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SHERBROOKE, QC, March 30, 2023 – For over 15 years, the Centre de Technologies Avancées BRP-Université de Sherbrooke (CTA), located in the heart of the Sherbrooke Innovation Zone, Sherbrooke, has been providing the expertise needed to create cutting-edge technological solutions for Quebec and Canadian companies dedicated to developing
the vehicles of tomorrow.

On June 14, the CTA will celebrate its many successes at a recognition event honoring the four founding members of the CTA, who enabled the CTA to access best practices in R&D and become a key player in developing the next generation of talent and vehicle technologies.

“The CTA specializes in everything related to the future of mobility, with expertise and tools that enable, for example, the lightweighting of vehicles, the management of their noise and vibrations, their electrification, and the facilitation of their driving. “We are proud to offer value-added services and solutions that are currently in high demand given the enthusiasm surrounding the electrification of transportation. The CTA team is extremely motivated by the challenges that lie ahead in the coming years in an industry that is undergoing a major transformation and evolving at an extremely rapid pace,” said Pascal Ranger, Executive Director of the CTA.

15 YEARS OF GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS

In addition to working on numerous BRP projects and vehicles, the CTA has achieved notable successes with several major industry players, such as MDA and Canadensys —partners in Canadian space missions—Lion Électrique, recognized as a pioneer in Canada for its electric buses and trucks, Prinoth, Camso, IngéniArts Technologies (UGOWORK®), Bell Helicopter, and Hydro-Québec, to name just a few.

A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH CENTER

With its collaborative R&D activities—which include research initiatives and eight laboratories equipped with the latest technologies for mechanical and vehicle electrification testing— the CTA is one of the few Canadian institutions to offer such a wide range of options to companies, all in one location.

“We like to refer to the CTA as a one-stop shop for vehicle engineering for companies that want to benefit from multiple services simultaneously. This allows them to reduce their costs and time to market without having to hire staff or invest in equipment,” adds Pascal Ranger.

FLEXIBLE SERVICES TAILORED TO BUSINESS NEEDS

Vehicle Intelligence

With laboratories dedicated to vehicle engineering, the “intelligent” aspect is becoming increasingly important at the CTA, driven by a strong interest in autonomous vehicles. In this regard, the Center is working to improve the driving experience through various features such as user-friendliness, safety, performance, and reduced emissions. “Our goal at the CTA is to develop more methods, algorithms, and combinations of components in systems that will enable vehicles to become increasingly smarter, more connected, easier to drive, and, eventually, more autonomous!” says Maxime Desjardins-Goulet, engineering project manager at the CTA.

Digital Engineering

Like most fields, engineering is undergoing a digital transformation. As a result, CTA is increasingly using methods and software that enable the execution of digital engineering tasks. “In addition to computer-aided design, we now use digital engineering to conceptualize and test designs. We are able to conceptualize a product virtually, which allows our clients to save a significant amount of time and money on development, while also enabling them to accelerate the time to market for their product,” explains Pascal Ranger.

Engineering and Collaborative Research

Thanks to its partnership with the University of Sherbrooke and BRP, the CTA is one of the few organizations in the industry capable of working in both applied research and new product development. Partnerships between educational institutions and industry make it possible to combine, under one roof, academic knowledge with practical experience. The organization brings together students, future engineers, and experienced professionals. This collaboration gives the CTA access to best R&D practices and the latest innovations, enabling it to play a key role in developing the next generation of professionals and vehicle technologies.

“The country needs talented, versatile, bright, and curious people who are committed to helping address some of the major societal challenges we face today. Making the world a better place, helping to make vehicles cleaner, safer, and more user-friendly. We will always need people who work with their heads, but also with their hearts, to make a difference,” said Pascal Ranger.

“Our partnership with the University of Sherbrooke allows us to develop stimulating research projects while raising our profile within the local and international communities. For us, it’s a tremendous opportunity for networking and recognition,” said Daniel Duceppe, Head of Engineering Services at CTA.

About CTA

A non-profit organization jointly founded in 2006 by BRP and the Université de Sherbrooke, with financial contributions from the federal and provincial governments, the CTA specializes in R&D on vehicles and their components in the following areas: electrification, lightweight structures, mechatronics, connectivity, noise and vibration management, digital and
predictive engineering, as well as simulation and virtual reality.

CTA’s expertise covers all stages of R&D, from the initial concept to the functional prototype. It enables companies and graduate engineering students to benefit from the synergy between research and engineering, supporting them in their respective development efforts.

The CTA serves a client base ranging from startups to international vehicle manufacturers, including SMEs, primarily in the fields of aerospace, mobility, transportation, and leisure.

Team members come from diverse cultural backgrounds and represent about ten different nationalities.

www.cta-brp-udes.com

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For media inquiries:
Marie-France Iribarren
T +1.819.821.7657 #66022
communications@cta-brp-udes.com

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