Honourable members of the committee, ladies and gentlemen, it's a privilege to be here today. I'd like to thank you for your invitation to discuss the topic of science and technology in Canada and its impact on the aerospace industry.
I'm pleased to report that Boeing is an integral part of Canada's aerospace industry. Boeing's presence in Canada stretches over more than 85 years of aerospace excellence, and the company's contribution contributes approximately $1 billion U.S. annually to the Canadian economy.
As the country with the third largest international Boeing supply base, Canada is home to a Boeing-owned high-technology composites manufacturing facility here in Winnipeg, as well as an airline maintenance software development operation in Richmond, British Columbia, and an airline crew, fleet and logistics software development operation in Montreal. In addition, Boeing operates out of five locations in Canada, providing new aviation parts and related after-market services. In total, Boeing employs over 2,000 highly skilled Canadians across 10 locations.
Each year, Boeing places orders with hundreds of suppliers in Canada in every province. Canadian industry provides Boeing with aerospace parts, components, and subsystems for all Boeing commercial airplanes, including the 787 Dreamliner, the CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopter, plus Canada's military CF-18 fighter jet and the C-17 strategic airlift aircraft.
In addition to our significant business presence in Canada, Boeing is also actively engaged with the technical community, both from an academic and industrial perspective. We have research and development, continuing education, and scholarship and recruiting relationships at the University of Manitoba, Red River College and Stevenson Aviation & Aerospace Training Centre here in Winnipeg; the University of British Columbia in Vancouver; McGill University in Montreal; and Memorial University in Newfoundland.
Technology collaboration with Canadian government and industry includes development of affordable composite manufacturing techniques, in cooperation with the Composites Innovation Centre in Manitoba, and natural fibre composites research, in cooperation with the Canadian National Research Council. In addition, we are involved in the development of advanced metal joining and forming technologies with the Canadian firms, Guthrie Research Associates and Spinduction.
Boeing and the Canadian government share a common understanding of the importance of innovation to the long-term health of industry. Canada recognizes the need to continue to innovate and shift to higher value-added activities to maintain their competitive advantage. Boeing faces the same challenges to maintain a leadership position in a highly competitive and dynamic global aerospace market.
In response to these challenges, Boeing has instituted significant changes to our business models and operating methods both inside and outside the company. Inside Boeing, innovative leading manufacturing techniques have been implemented in our commercial and defence businesses, bringing new levels of productivity and efficiency. At the same time, new partnering approaches on the 787 Dreamliner have driven design and manufacturing responsibility outside of Boeing to a greater extent than ever before.
Boeing's emphasis on finding best-value opportunities outside the company has not been restricted only to manufacturing and engineering communities. A parallel global outreach has also taken place involving research and development. The rising cost of technology development and speed of innovation required to meet the competitive requirements of our customers in today's aerospace market is driving Boeing's commitment to reach out and collaborate around the world with the best and brightest researchers in government, industry, and academia to quickly find and transition the most affordable and innovative solutions possible.
Boeing research and development investment decisions are driven by two primary factors: gaining access to world-class capabilities and leveraging our research and development investment. To help us set our investment strategy, we continuously collect information on the types and amounts of global research and development activities and use this data to identify capabilities that align with our technology needs. Canadian government programs, such as the strategic aerospace and defence initiative and the scientific research and experimental development tax incentive programs, are important for encouraging Canadian private sector technology investments.
Boeing searches for the best technology capabilities to meet our needs both in the academic and industrial sectors. As detailed in the Advantage Canada plan, a skilled and highly educated workforce and high rates of private and public investment in research and innovation are fundamental to long-term economic growth in developed countries. Recognition of these factors and a willingness to co-invest with industry has played a key role in past Boeing technology investments.
In closing, Boeing is proud of our long history of business and technology engagement in Canada, and we look forward to working with the Government of Canada, academic institutions, and industry to strengthen our current technology relationships and identify new models of collaboration.
Thank you.