Invest WindsorEssex: Opportunities for Engineers in the Automobility Capital of Canada
As the lead economic development organization in the region, Invest WindsorEssex provides confidential and expert assistance to companies and entrepreneurs across all sectors. Our focus is to develop and execute strategies to retain, expand, attract, and help start up new businesses in the Windsor-Essex region.
A strong engineering workforce is crucial to attracting and retaining businesses across many of our key sectors including advanced manufacturing, industrial automation, agri-business, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Engineers have helped grow these historically significant industries and now they can help the region gain recognition as the Automobility Capital of Canada.
Automobility is the secure, zero-emission movement of people, goods, and services using advanced information technologies. It is the future of mobility and has already arrived in the Windsor-Essex region with the launch of the Canadian Automobility Hub, a first for Canada. The Canadian Automobility Hub will support entrepreneurs and businesses interested in advancing the market for connected, autonomous, electric, and secure vehicle technology in a globally competitive market. Invest WindsorEssex’s Automobility and Innovation Centre is home to Canada’s largest publicly accessible Virtual Reality CAVE. The facility serves as a teaching, training, and research tool designed to support connected and autonomous vehicle development. The Invest WindsorEssex VR CAVE provides opportunities for businesses and research institutions to aid in product development, simulation, prototyping, and skills training.
Invest WindsorEssex is a proud partner of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN), a collaborative initiative supported by Ontario Centres of Innovation (OCI), Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and the Ministry of Transportation. The Regional Technology Development Sites (RTDS) support SMEs to develop, test and prototype their advanced automotive technologies and smart mobility solutions, and tap into specific advice, expertise, and knowledge around key focus areas for the sector.
Known as North America’s manufacturing powerhouse, Windsor-Essex is a leader and innovator in advanced manufacturing. Parts suppliers and mold makers across the region are at the forefront of using innovative technology to remain competitive in a changing global marketplace. Hundreds of manufacturers supply tool and die, mold making, machining, automation transfer equipment, machine building, deep raw metal stamping, micro-electronics, and laser-guided robotics systems to meet the demands of leading manufacturers worldwide.
The electric vehicle (EV) industry, including battery manufacturing, presents additional opportunities for the Windsor-Essex region. Chemical engineers, chemists, and materials scientists are key occupations necessary for the battery manufacturing and recycling stages of the EV value chain. EV design and assembly are the stages in an EV value chain that come after battery manufacturing. These stages are very important, as they represent the design and assembly of all component parts of an EV except the battery, including the chassis, electronics, and drivetrain.
Windsor-Essex is also well-positioned for re-training and upgrading skills for the EV maintenance stage, which will primarily be occupied by automotive service technicians and mechanics. The region possesses a 1.06 location quotient for this occupation. A strong recruitment effort is underway for occupations identified in the Charging Infrastructure stage. Specifically, civil engineers, electrical engineers, and urban/regional planners.
Other key sectors with opportunities for engineers include:
For more information on opportunities in Windsor-Essex visit investwindsoressex.com and for employment opportunities visit the Workforce WindsorEssex website. For information on starting your own business in the region, visit WindsorEssex Small Business and Entrepreneurship Centre.
Learn. Grow. Thrive. Together.
With bold topics, industry expertise, and diverse perspectives – National Engineering Month is Ontario’s engineering event of the year. Together we can advance the engineering profession, spark an interest in the next generation of engineering professionals and celebrate the role that engineers play in our society. We hope you can be a part of these incredible events by attending a #NEM2023 event. For more information about National Engineering Month Ontario events, please visit nemontario.ca.
