Queen’s Park Hands Down Plan Designed to Boost Auto Sector
PC Government Unveils 10-Year "Driving Prosperity" Plan
The province has taken the wraps off a plan it says will grow the struggling auto sector in Ontario.
Called Driving Prosperity: The Future of Ontario’s Automotive Sector, the ten-year plan claims to address how the industry can work together with the research and education sector and all three levels of government to strengthen competitiveness.
Phase one of the plan revealed today comes in the form of three “pillars” highlighted at a Woodbridge media conference: Competitive Business Climate, Innovation, and Talent.
The province says the auto industry will become competitive again as it modernizes regulations and cuts red tape, enables investments and partnerships, and supports market diversification. Innovation comes in the form of supports for new mobility tech, along with R&D and early stage technology, with an increase in commercialization and the scale-up of technology. The province says talent will be brought in through the promotion of careers in advanced manufacturing, enhancing awareness of existing employment and training programs, and strengthening Ontario’s technical education pathways.
Phase two, which is expected later this year, promises to address longer term challenges facing the auto sector in Ontario.
In 2017, Ontario was North America’s top auto producing region, with almost 2.2 million vehicles built. Production has been falling since the turn of the millennium however, down 25% since the year 2000.
