Boeing has become the founding industrial member of the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Composites Research Network (CRN), helping Canadian scientists to turn new discoveries in composite manufacturing into practical applications.

“Boeing's long-standing research relationship with our university makes it fitting that Boeing is the founding industrial member of CRN. Boeing will provide significant guidance and support to a research center that is based on an equal partnership between the creation of knowledge and its practice,” said CRN Director Anoush Poursartip (photo) of the University of British Columbia's Department of Materials Engineering.

The CRN will collaborate with other composite initiatives, such as the Canadian Composites Manufacturing Research and Development Consortium hosted by the Composites Innovation Centre in Manitoba. The collaborations support a vibrant Canadian composites industry that includes companies and manufacturers of all sizes and expertise.

“This collaboration has the potential to generate new applications of composite processing technology not only within Canada's aerospace industry, but in other fields such as the automotive and resources sectors,” said William Lyons, Director of Global Technology at Boeing Research & Technology.

Established in 2012 with an investment of $9.84 million from Western Economic Diversification Canada, the CRN consists of a Vancouver hub based at the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus; a Kelowna node based at UBC's Okanagan campus; a Victoria node, based at the University of Victoria; and a Manitoba node, based at the Composites Innovation Centre in Winnipeg. Future nodes are planned for Alberta and Saskatchewan.

“Our government views innovation as key to creating jobs and growing our economy. By working collaboratively with academia and the private sector, we are helping to create a more prosperous future for the West and all Canadians,” said the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification.

“I would like to welcome Boeing to the Network and look forward to seeing the new ideas that come out of this important collaboration,” he added.

Boeing's involvement with the CRN will support Canada’s Industrial & Regional Benefits (IRB) policy. Canada's IRB policy requires prime contractors such as Boeing to make investments in the Canadian economy as a result of winning defense and security contracts with the government of Canada. Boeing has four active IRB programs tied to the procurement of the CC-177 airlifter; ScanEagle unmanned aircraft systems services, and CH-147 helicopter.