Lecture Notes: Discussion on Advanced Manufacturing Sector Challenges

Introduction

• Purpose: Discuss challenges and opportunities in the advanced manufacturing sector.
• Host: Jason, located in Northwest Territories.
• Participants: Eclectic group of business leaders.
• Focus: Supply chain issues, value creation, innovation, and international partnerships.

Current Major Challenges

General

• Supply chain disruptions: Conflict in Ukraine, trade tensions, demographic changes, and logistics bottlenecks.
• Transition from supply chains to value chains: Involves innovation and partnerships.

Individual Perspectives

Kevin Fernandez, Macrodyne

• Company: Largest hydraulic press manufacturer in North America.
• Challenges: Disruptions in electronics and robotics supply; capital goods infrastructure issues.

David McNaughton, Palantir Technologies

• Company: Focuses on real-time data integration for complex supply chains.
• Challenges: Lack of data from supplier’s suppliers; geopolitical and logistical disruptions.
• Solutions: Better understanding of supply chain complexities through data aggregation.

Barry Hunt, Prescient

• Company: Engineer infection prevention technologies and PPE production.
• Opportunities: Increase domestic production of critical products like PPE.
• Challenges: Regulatory restrictions, labor shortages, and ongoing healthcare impacts like long COVID.

Louis Antoine, DeepSight

• Company: Develops AR software for knowledge management in manufacturing.
• Focus: Addressing labor and skill shortages.

Gary, CarboCrete

• Company: Cement-free concrete producer.
• Opportunities: Carbon-negative products and leveraging slag and CO2 injection.
• Challenges: Supply chain issues and skilled manpower shortage.

Eric, Saskatchewan Industrial Mining Suppliers Association

• Focus: Supply chain constraints and opportunities in mining and nuclear fuel sectors.
• Challenges: Labor shortages and high transport costs.

Mitch, Mosaic Manufacturing

• Company: Develops 3D printing solutions for factory floors.
• Challenges: Scaling production and overcoming early adopter risk for customers.
• Opportunities: Reduce manufacturing costs and lead times through parallelization and automation.

Billy Rideout, Exergy

• Focus: Additive manufacturing and supply chain resilience in heavy industry.
• Challenges: Capital-intensive installations; ensuring reliable parts supply.

Sean

• Role: Works with smaller companies to help them grow and manage their businesses.
• Challenges: High costs associated with nearshoring and labor shortages.

Future Prospects and Strategies

Onshoring and Nearshoring

• Data Insight: Onshoring hasn't yet significantly changed import figures for Canada.
• David’s Perspective: Long-term opportunities for Canada despite protectionist U.S. policies.
• Barry’s Insights: Importance of procurement and collaboration between government and industry.

Specific Opportunities

• Louis Antoine’s Perspective: Shift in vocational training to just-in-time training using advanced tech.
• Gary’s Focus: Great potential for carbon-negative products, looking at both old and new solutions for supply issues.
• Eric’s Perspective: Canadian resources and minerals as strategic advantages.
• General Consensus: Canada's unique advantages in resources, talent, and geopolitical stability.

Conclusion

• Call to Action: Continued collaboration among industry, government, and academia essential to leveraging opportunities.
• Networking & Next Steps: Encouraged mutual follow-ups and leveraging the discussed opportunities.