The Aerospace Innovation Hub (AIH) officially marked the opening of its new headquarters at the Calgary International Airport on January 13, drawing a packed room of founders, industry leaders, researchers and partners to celebrate what many described as a long-awaited home for Alberta's aerospace community.
Located pre-security in the domestic terminal at YYC, the AIH is now fully operational and open to members, giving startups, researchers and established companies a place to work, meet and collaborate at the heart of a major transportation hub.
"We've been talking about aerospace in the city for many years," said John Wilson, president and CEO of Innovate Calgary, the University of Calgary's Innovation arm leading the AIH. "There are many of us who think that this is the next best thing for the city after energy. There are a lot of people in this space but there isn't a well-defined community. We'll build that."
The strong turnout for the event underscored that momentum. "It goes to show that there's real interest here," Wilson added. "People do want to be part of something important. It's how businesses grow."
The grand opening featured remarks from Innovate Calgary and University of Calgary leadership and from Chris Dinsdale, president and CEO of The Calgary Airport Authority, and was followed by a panel discussion on Calgary's emerging role in the global aerospace and defence landscape, featuring industry leaders from De Havilland and Lufthansa Technik.
Where research takes flight
Speakers throughout the afternoon emphasized a common theme: the Aerospace Innovation Hub is designed to be a bridge between research, industry and commercialization.
"Well, it's critical," said Susan Skone, associate vice-president (research) and professor of geomatics engineering at the University of Calgary. "It's going to play a vital role in getting research from ideas through innovation, commercialization, advancing technology readiness and getting it in the hands of end users for growing the sector in Calgary and attracting talent and training."
Skone pointed to the depth of aerospace-related expertise already at UCalgary, and how the AIH gives those teams a direct pathway into industry.
"We have tremendous programs in aerospace, in space research, space technology, space science," she said. "The students are very often working on hands-on problem solving, very often with partners that are members or will become members of the AIH. So, it's fantastic for them to be able to leverage this capacity, so that they really do have the much-in-demand skill sets of the future."
The AIH fills a gap that young companies and future talent have felt for some time, according to Dr. Craig Johansen, Aerospace Engineering Research Chair at UCalgary and co-founder of North Vector Dynamics.
"I think you do need something like this that really gets the early startups going and connected with some of the more entrenched people in the industry," he said. "And something like this also inspires young people to get involved in the industry."
Location, connection, credibility
Johansen added that being part of the AIH has already made a difference to his company, giving it added credibility and connections to experts that helped in its early stages.
One of the defining features of the AIH is its location at YYC. For many founders, being based in the terminal turns the space into a true "living lab."
"It's awesome because we can come here, we have a space to work and a space to meet like-minded individuals," said Pierre Dawe, co-founder and chief technology officer at Aurora Fluid Systems, a member company at the AIH. "Connecting with people like that makes a really big difference in our ability to promote aerospace, and really get ourselves out there and meet the right people to make our company successful."
With the new headquarters now open, the Aerospace Innovation Hub is ready to welcome more members who want to work out of the space, host meetings and plug into a growing network of aerospace innovators.
Founders and researchers will have access to collaborative workspace and meeting areas, to prototyping and testing capabilities, programming and advisory support, and a steady calendar of activities. Planned programming includes monthly panel events and industry sessions that will bring visiting companies, investors and experts into the AIH to showcase emerging technologies and highlight what's happening across the sector.
As the room emptied out after the grand opening, one message was clear: the Aerospace Innovation Hub is no longer just an idea or a promise, it's a physical place where Alberta's aerospace community can gather and grow.
Or, as Wilson put it, the AIH gives people who care about aerospace a community they can help shape over the years to come.
