Thanks to its unique and diversified ecosystem, Québec has been able to maintain a prominent position in the global aerospace supply chain, and Aéro Montréal plays a key role in this.
Founded in 2006, Aéro Montréal is a not-for-profit organization created to mobilize the players in Québec’s aerospace sector. The group’s mission is to support the industry’s influence on the world stage, its capacity for innovation, and its growth.
With a 35-member board of directors, the Québec aerospace cluster represents the interests of major prime contractors (OEMs), equipment manufacturers, SMEs, unions, research centres, and educational institutions. By focusing its members on strategic issues, it gathers the needs of organizations and ensures that they are represented before the various stakeholders. Aéro Montréal also supports companies by providing strategic initiatives and structuring projects. Finally, it promotes the networking, collaboration and outreach of Québec companies, locally and internationally.
The activities of Aéro Montréal are made possible thanks to the participation of the governments of Canada and Québec, the Montréal Metropolitan Community, as well as company members of the cluster.
Tell us about yourself?
Mélanie Lussier has nearly 25 years of experience in the transportation sector. She spent more than 15 years at Bombardier, where she led many strategic projects to improve costs, optimize supplier relationship management, and implement Lean practices.
She then joined Aéro Montréal, Québec’s aerospace cluster, where she led the cluster’s action plan by implementing economic measures, programs, and awareness actions, flagship projects that increased reputation and productivity in the aerospace industry.
In January 2021, she was appointed Vice President, Operations and Administration of Propulsion Québec, the cluster for electric and smart transportation. She contributed to the creation of a project office and worked to improve the mobilization plan for the cluster’s working groups and communities of interest.
Ms. Lussier returned to the aerospace sector in January 2023, assuming the role of President of Aéro Montréal.
What problem does your business solve?
Aéro Montréal’s mission is to foster the growth of the sector by encouraging networking and the exchange of best practices. You will be part of a dynamic network ready to work together to meet today’s challenges. With the aim of becoming “the most innovative cluster in the world,” Aéro Montréal has placed innovation at the heart of its strategic planning. You will be able to follow and contribute to the emergence of cutting-edge projects within a cluster that aims to seize every opportunity to provide its members with the excellence, agility and boldness required to make Québec’s aerospace sector recognized on the world stage.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
Created in 2006, Aéro Montréal is a strategic think tank that groups all major decision-makers in Québec’s aerospace sector, including companies, educational and research institutions, as well as associations and unions.
Since COVID-19, we’ve been working hard to foster innovation within the ecosystem and to help manage the issues of the day: labour shortages, building a more resilient supply chain, and so on.
What is your magic sauce?
We are fortunate to be able to rely on a complete ecosystem capable of building an aircraft from A to Z in Québec. We must seize the opportunity offered by Québec’s well-developed network of companies, researchers, and research institutes to create synergies among the players and offer ever more innovative solutions to meet the current needs of our society (building a more sustainable industry in terms of production and mobility).
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
Over the next five years, we want to enable our members to meet the strategic challenges facing the Quebec aerospace industry: attracting and retaining talent while integrating the best practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion that our companies will need, creating an ecosystem that further encourages collaborative innovation by working with the government to launch a Quebec Aerospace Innovation Zone. One of the objectives of this zone will be to help reduce emissions from our sector by advancing the issues of autonomy and decarbonization. We’re also looking to strengthen the links between our companies across Quebec and enhance their profile on the international scene.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
Helping our members attract and retain the talent that sets our companies apart and places Montreal among the world’s top aerospace cities
How can people get involved?
By joining the Québec aerospace cluster, you will also ensure that your company has a voice in forums dealing with issues of importance to the sector. Moreover, you will have special access to relevant information on the aerospace industry in Québec and around the world (newsletters, press releases, seminars, etc.).
The Aéro Montréal team is at your disposal to discuss with you all the initiatives and business opportunities that could help your company grow in Québec. For further information, please contact: www.aeromontreal.ca