Charest to pilot space industry relaunch plan

MONTREAL — Canada’s aerospace industry has appointed former Quebec premier Jean Charest to chart a new course for the sector.

The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada is putting Charest in the cockpit to coax funding commitments and a long-term plan from the federal government amid fears the country’s star is fading.

Canada is not keeping up with sector growth and innovation compared with countries such as France, Germany and the United States, which have long-term strategies in place, said association president Jim Quick.

“We certainly feel that we’re not keeping up with the globalization of space. Other countries have been increasing their investments in space,” he said in an interview Tuesday.

Quick said the new initiative, called Vision 2025, will push Ottawa to include a long-term aerospace plan in its budget next year.

Charest will lead discussions with government and industry officials in several cities, including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Halifax, culminating in a report on aerospace priorities.

Charest, a former federal cabinet minister who served as premier of Quebec from 2003 to 2012, said he is “excited” about the sector’s strength and wants it “to become a global powerhouse... in the face of global risk and uncertainty.”