Montréal, October 12, 2010 - The 9th edition of the Student Aerospace Forum (SAF) is set for October 14 and 15 at Polytechnique Montréal. This event is being held in collaboration with the Consortium de Recherche et d'Innovation en Aérospatiale au Québec (Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec - CRIAQ). More than 300 students from Montréal, Sherbrooke, Toronto and Québec City, as well as 20 companies, are expected to attend.

With Vers des technologies aérospatiales plus vertes (Toward Greener Aerospace Technologies) as the theme for the forum, the students registered will hear a number of speakers from various companies and research centres. They will also take part in the simulation of an aeronautical firm and in a poster competition. Guest presenters will highlight innovation and leadership within enterprises, as well as the close links they maintain with Québec universities. Fassi Kafyeke, Director of Strategic Technologies at Bombardier Aerospace, will have the honour of giving the opening remarks.

CRIAQ, a benchmark of open innovation in aerospace
SAF 2010 is an initiative of CRIAQ and aims to promote student interest and involvement in engineering in the aerospace field. Collaborative efforts developed by CRIAQ form a model that is exported worldwide, making Québec a reference this area.

Polytechnique, a benchmark in aerospace engineering education
Equipped with the infrastructure needed to train engineers specializing in aerospace, Polytechnique Montréal inaugurated Québec's very first bachelor's program in aerospace engineering last March. At present, more than 400 Polytechnique graduates work at Bombardier Aerospace and at Pratt & Whitney Canada. Polytechnique also enjoys an advantage from the presence of many professor-researchers who specialize in the field, in particular through the IDEA (Integration du design pour l'efficacité des avions) Research Chair held by Professor Jean-Yves Trépanier and inaugurated in April. As regards student life, the Avion Cargo technical team continues to make an impression at major international model aircraft competitions with the prototypes it designs and builds.

DATEBOOK

WHAT: 9th Student Aerospace Forum (SAF)
WHEN: October 14 and 15, 2010
WHO: www.groupes.polymtl.ca/fea/en
WHERE: Polytechnique Montréal
2900, boul. Édouard-Montpetit
Université de Montréal campus
2500, chemin de Polytechnique
Montréal, Québec H3T 1J4

Campus map: www.polymtl.ca/rensgen/coordonnees/campus.php

About CRIAQ
CRIAQ is a non-profit consortium, established with the financial support of Valorisation-Recherche Québec (VRQ), Le Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies (FQRNT), industries and universities, to promote and perform collaborative pre-competitive industry research projects primarily at universities.  CRIAQ projects are now also being funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export of Québec (MDEIE). As the first Quebec aerospace innovation network, CRIAQ's objectives are to increase the competitiveness of the aerospace industry, and enhance the collective knowledge base in aerospace through improved education and training of students.

About Polytechnique Montréal
Founded in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada's leading engineering university institutions in terms of both teaching and research. It is also the largest engineering university in Québec for the size of its student body and the scope of its research activities. With over 36,000 graduates, Polytechnique Montréal has trained 27% of the members of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. Polytechnique provides training in 14 engineering specialties, has 230 professors and over 6,700 students. It has an annual operating budget of over $100 million, in addition to a $70-million research and infrastructure fund.

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Possible interviews with the main spokesmen:

Clément Fortin
President and CEO, CRIAQ

Alexandre Lupien
Chair, SAF 2010 organizing committee
Student, research master's, IDEA Chair
Polytechnique Montréal

Catherine Déry
Member, SAF 2010 organizing committee
Third-year bachelor's student in aerospace engineering
Polytechnique Montréal

Xavier Elie-Dit-Cosaque
Member, SAF 2010 organizing committee
Doctoral student (CRIAQ project 4.6), Department of Mechanical Engineering
Université Laval

It is possible to attend certain presentations upon request.
Interviews with speakers possible upon request.

Information:

Nathalie Rochette
Communications Advisor
Polytechnique Montréal
Telephone  514 340-4711, ext. 2339
Cell: 514 941-5660
nathalie.rochette@polymtl.ca

Annie Touchette
Senior Communications Advisor
Polytechnique Montréal
Telephone: 514 340-4711, ext. 4415
Cell: 514 231-8133
annie.touchette@polymtl.ca