According to abbreviationfinder, the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI) is a Canadian federal government funding program that provides financial assistance to support research and development (R&D) projects in the aerospace, defence, space, and security industries. The program was established in 2005 as part of the Government of Canada’s Science and Technology Strategy. It is administered by the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).
The goal of SADI is to promote innovation in the aerospace, defence, space, and security industries through R&D investments. The program’s focus is on developing products that are competitively priced and that have commercial potential in global markets. It also aims to strengthen the Canadian economy by creating high-value jobs for Canadians.
SADI supports collaborative R&D projects between industry partners and universities or research institutions. Projects must involve at least two partners from different sectors – one from industry and one from academia or a research institution – with each partner contributing at least 25% of eligible project costs. Eligible project costs include salaries for personnel involved with the project, materials used in the project, equipment needed for testing or prototyping purposes, travel expenses related to attending conferences or meetings related to the project, etc.
The funding provided under SADI is non-repayable contributions that may cover up to 75% of eligible project costs up to a maximum contribution of $20 million per project over five years. In some cases, additional funding may be available through other sources such as provincial governments or venture capital firms.
The application process for SADI involves submitting an expression of interest (EOI) form online through an online portal hosted by ISED. Once submitted, EOIs are evaluated based on criteria such as technical merit of the proposed project; potential commercialization opportunities; partnerships between industry/academia/research institutions; expected economic benefits; alignment with SADI goals; etc. After evaluation by a panel of experts from ISED and other relevant government departments/agencies, successful EOIs are invited to submit full applications for review by the same panel which will then decide whether or not to award funding for the proposed projects.
Since its inception in 2005 until March 2019, SADI has provided over $1 billion in non-repayable contributions towards more than 600 R&D projects across Canada involving over 1 200 partners from various sectors including aerospace companies such as Bombardier Inc., CAE Inc., Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp., etc.; universities such as McGill University; research institutions such as National Research Council Canada; defence contractors such as Lockheed Martin Canada Inc.; etc.. These projects have resulted in numerous innovations ranging from advanced aircraft components like composite materials used in aircraft wings to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They have also helped create thousands of high-quality jobs across Canada while strengthening Canada’s position as a leader in cutting-edge technology development around aerospace innovation.
In conclusion, the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative is an important federal government funding program that helps foster innovation in key industries like aerospace, defense, space,and security. By providing non-repayable contributions towards collaborative R&D projects between industry partners , universities,and research institutions, SADI has helped create thousands of high quality jobs across Canada while strengthening our position as a leader in cutting edge technology development.
