Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
Downsview Aerospace Innovation and Research, also known as DAIR, is a consortium of industry and academic partners working in highly collaborative ways to enable cutting-edge R and D, workforce training and education, and entrepreneurial support for start-ups and SMEs. Together, we are establishing a global aerospace innovation hub for Canada at Downsview Park in Toronto, also the location of the production of the Dash 8-400.
Aerospace is a key sector for Ontario. More than $500 million of the total $1.4 billion that Canada spends on R and D annually is spent in Ontario. More than 200 aerospace firms are responsible for over 44,000 direct and indirect jobs.
We're here today because Canadian aerospace is at a critical juncture.
Prior to the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian aerospace sector had already fallen from fifth place in the world to seventh. As you heard last week from the AIAC, significant challenges from the pandemic are threatening to further exacerbate this trend. Canada is currently losing its highly skilled workforce and homegrown expertise in aerospace to other countries around the world which are heavily investing in this sector.
With aerospace and aviation companies having to make very tough financial decisions, we are anticipating a decrease in essential research and technology spending. Unfortunately, this can and will stagnate the promising work being led by industry and academic partners to pivot and transform this sector, but we don't have to let this happen.