Members of the committee, thank you very much for inviting me to participate in this important pre-budget consultation exercise. It is an honour for the École de technologie supérieure, or ETS, to contribute to these discussions aimed at guiding the priorities of the next federal budget. This is a critical exercise for the country's economic, technological and environmental future.
Today, I will introduce you to two critical projects for Canada's economic, technological and environmental future: the AdapT Institute, and funding for deep-tech incubators such as Centech, ETS's deep-tech incubator.
Climate change is causing our infrastructure to age and increasing maintenance costs. Urgent action is needed. By investing in research and innovation, we can develop new approaches, materials and technologies for design and construction, thereby strengthening our existing infrastructure to build more resilient cities.
Canada is at a turning point on these issues, and it should seize the opportunity to become a global leader in adaptation and resilience. Sustained investments in education and research and the resulting innovations are making and will make a difference in addressing the challenges Canada faces.
The ETS has developed an innovative model with the AdapT Institute, a one-stop shop that brings together the best researchers in the country to brainstorm concrete solutions to current and future challenges. This model facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration and accelerates knowledge transfer to meet the needs of industry and our communities. Within our industry, more than 60 promising projects are already under way. They are piloted by 27 universities in Canada and internationally.
Given the challenges—