YMX Innovation confirms its role as an aerospace industry catalyst by forging new partnerships and celebrating a year of remarkable progress. The organization hosted a series of significant announcements at the International Aerospace Innovation Forum organized by Aero Montreal to showcase the rapid growth and vibrancy of its YMX Innovation campus at Mirabel International Aerocity. These developments illustrate YMX Innovation’s ambition to drive innovation and position Quebec and Canada as global aerospace leaders of tomorrow.
“Through these new partnerships and the remarkable momentum of the past year, YMX Innovation confirms its role as a catalyst for the Quebec aerospace industry. ADM will continue its commitment to creating the right conditions for every ecosystem player to innovate, grow, and shine. Together, we are shaping the aerospace industry of tomorrow and aiming higher,” said Yves Beauchamp, CEO of ADM Airports of Montreal.
One year after its launch, YMX Innovation, under the leadership of Aero Space, has emerged as a strategic hub within Quebec’s aerospace innovation zone, attracting global leaders. From robotics to advanced air mobility to sustainable energy, ADM’s seven targeted strategic programs are fully deployed at YMX:
– Airbus is partnering with YMX Innovation to establish their Protospace, an exclusive space dedicated to experimentation, productivity, and training. Airbus is also initiating a project, in collaboration with Exo-Drone, for automated drone surveillance of their Mirabel site, showcasing the convergence of innovation, operational efficiency, and security.
– The National Research Council of Canada launches its activities in advanced air mobility at Mirabel with its Drone Innovation Center. Focusing on advancing research and development and commercialization for Canada’s defense sectors, it offers the industry a unique environment to validate new drone technologies.
– The national consortium H2CanFly chose YMX Innovation to establish its new state-of-the-art center called “ARCTIC” and conduct activities on using hydrogen as a clean propulsion technology, essential for aviation decarbonization.
– Volatus will operate a drone assembly factory at YMX, strengthening the site’s position as a reference platform for autonomous systems and dual technologies.
– WatchOut, a Franco-Swiss company specializing in AI-driven autonomous machining cells, has completed its installation and is deploying high-performance technology to enrich the YMX Innovation ecosystem.
“Airbus is pleased to announce the upcoming establishment of a new innovation space within YMX Innovation, reinforcing our longstanding local partnership with ADM. These high-speed Airbus incubation facilities are designed to fulfill a unique mission: providing engineers with the autonomy to develop revolutionary concepts, build and test them in real-time, thus shortening innovation cycles. As a strategic partner of ADM, this co-location in Mirabel strengthens our existing operational presence, which already has over 4,600 employees, and provides the necessary infrastructure to support the ongoing acceleration of A220 production, as well as development activities and sustainability research,” said Vincent Courtois, head of A220 manufacturing engineering.
ADM will also welcome students from the Saint-Jérôme College in mechanical engineering technology at the heart of YMX Innovation. Combined with the SDG network, a program of structuring chairs in advanced air mobility involving all Quebec universities, this partnership makes the site a conducive learning environment for experimentation, training, and the development of advanced expertise.
“These numerous new projects and partnerships in Mirabel, one of Aero Space’s three hubs, demonstrate that our innovation zone is bearing fruit. This kind of collaboration is exactly what the different ecosystem partners envisioned when contributing to the creation of Aero Space. By mobilizing so many actors around common innovation infrastructures, we enable Quebec’s aerospace industry to push even further, preserving and strengthening its role as a global leader in our industry,” expressed Pascal Désilets, CEO of Aero Space.
