Showcasing Canadian aerospace excellence in Abbotsford: Leveraging innovation, knowledge

Asia Pacific is key market, West Coast companies perfectly placed for opportunity, says Fast

ABBOTSFORD, BC, Aug. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - Located in B.C.'s Fraser Valley, just seconds from the Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) and minutes from the Canada-U.S. border at Huntington-Sumas, Tradex in Abbotsford is the venue for the 2014 Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo (ADSE), and Abbotsford the base for the Aerospace Industry Association of Canada's (AIAC) Pacific division.

In addition to being right next to an international border and airport, Abbotsford is close to the Fraser River and Pacific Ocean, which means easy access to the Pacific Northwest and facilities such as Boeing's final assembly and integration production lines in Seattle, as well as the important Asia Pacific aerospace marketplace.

"I am very pleased that AIAC Pacific will be hosting the 2014 Aerospace, Defence & Security Expo in Abbotsford during Airshow Week," commented the Hon. Ed Fast, MP for Abbotsford and Minister of International Trade. "As one of the world's leaders in aerospace, Canada is perfectly placed to leverage its innovation and knowledge advantage to drive economic growth and long-term prosperity for Canadians. I look forward to joining the hundreds of participants in showcasing Canadian excellence in this sector."

Almost half of the world's air-traffic growth will be connected to or within the Asia Pacific region in the next 20 years. At the same time global airplane sales, for both fleet growth and replacement of aging aircraft, will total 35,000 units for a value of more than $4.8 trillion.

"Asia Pacific is a key market for Canada's aerospace industry. Companies located on the west coast are perfectly situated to take advantage of this opportunity, which is made even greater by the B.C. government's recent funding contribution," said Jim Quick, president and CEO of AIAC.

The AIAC Pacific team is also developing a strategic, dynamic web presence to bring the province's aerospace voices and interests together and showcase B.C. industry success stories.

For more information, contact Grant Smith, Director - Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo (ADSE) at (250) 516-5475 or [email protected]

Visit www.ADSE.ca or follow ADSE on Twitter for interesting tidbits and ahead-of-the-curve information: @ADSExpo2014 / hashtag #ADSE.

About AIAC

AIAC is the national association representing Canada's aerospace manufacturing and services sector. As the world's fifth-largest aerospace industry, Canada's aerospace sector contributes nearly $28B to the economy in GDP, exports 80% of its output, and dedicates over 20% of its activity to research and development (R&D). Aerospace is responsible for the employment of 172,000 Canadians. AIAC represents the interests of over 700 aerospace companies across Canada.

About AIAC Pacific

In December 2013, AIAC announced the creation of AIAC Pacific with a mandate to promote and develop aerospace business in British Columbia by acting as an advocate and facilitator for its members with industry and government. AIAC Pacific speaks with one cohesive voice for the industry; it provides access for BC companies to national and international programs; and aims to develop a strong relationship with the provincial government. AIAC Pacific has a unique relationship with AIAC in that it is the only provincial entity managed by the AIAC. Through this relationship, AIAC Pacific is able to leverage participation in national and international programs designed to enhance business development, investment and global competitiveness.

About ADSE 2014

The 2014 Aerospace, Defence & Security Expo (ADSE), Canada's only expo connected to a major airshow (Abbotsford International Airshow), brings key federal and provincial cabinet ministers, government officials, commercial and military aerospace industry experts, and defence- and security-industry leaders together for learning and networking opportunities August 7 and 8 at Tradex in Abbotsford.

Background Information

The BC aerospace sector is a successful, high value, high technology engineering, manufacturing and service industry. The opportunity for Canadian and international aerospace industry partners to come together to capitalize on assets and capabilities has never been more timely. The current Aerospace Review implementation process has government and industry engaging together like never before to grow the aerospace sector.

Ensuring that business, industry and government are all working together to create opportunities and access to the key technologies required for the aerospace products in the future is critical if we are to grow, create new jobs, and generate increased wealth in our economy.

Supporting high value industry and identifying future opportunities in the long-term is critical to economic growth in the Canadian defence sector. ADSE 2014 provides the international defence community, including senior government officials, military delegations and other industry visitors and exhibitors, access to information about new defence procurement opportunities and Canada's Key Industrial Capabilities, as well as valuable industry exposure and the chance to network with industry, government and complementary service providers.

The security sector in Canada embraces a wide range of activities relating to the local, provincial and federal governments' delivery of crime prevention and investigation, protection of people, property and assets, and law enforcement in general.

SOURCE Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo