Centech, ranked among the world’s top university-affiliated incubators, brings proven expertise in scouting, evaluating, and scaling high-potential technologies. This alliance consolidates its role as a leading deeptech hub by creating global opportunities for Canadian startups, developing partnerships that enable industry innovation, and positioning Montréal and Québec as international centers for aerospace excellence.
The collaboration also brings direct benefits to Airbus in Canada, giving teams access to startups and co-development opportunities, and pilot projects addressing real-world challenges.
“Our mission is to connect Canadian startups with world-class industry leaders to accelerate adoption and global growth,” said Julian Lucchesi, Director, Strategic Partnerships & Open Innovation at Centech. “Building on earlier collaborations such as our 2022 mission with Airbus, this partnership positions Montréal as a strategic gateway for Airbus to access Canadian deeptech talent and drive aerospace innovation forward.”
“Airbus is committed to working with the best startups and ecosystems worldwide to shape the future of aerospace. Our partnership with Centech provides a unique entry point into Canada’s deeptech landscape, creating tangible business impact for both our global and national operations, particularly for the A220 Programme in Mirabel,” said Catherine Guillemart, Head of Public Affairs, Airbus in Canada.
Together, Centech and Airbus will turn this ambition into concrete actions to accelerate the adoption of breakthrough aerospace technologies:
With this partnership, Airbus joins key partners Safran, Thales, CAE and Collins Aerospace in Centech’s Collision Lab, the open innovation hub dedicated to fostering collaboration between startups and industry leaders.
Link to the press release.
Centech is an ecosystem that propels technological innovation and entrepreneurship projects from science and engineering. Open to all, Centech was founded in 1996 by the École de technologie supérieure. Thanks to its Acceleration and Propulsion programs, Centech acts as a real instrument of growth, thus creating one of the largest concentrations of technology entrepreneurs in the start-up phase in Quebec and Canada. Since 2018, Centech has its own open innovation hub, the Collision Lab, where large companies are supported in their open innovation initiatives in collaboration with technology startups.
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