Reindustrialization is underway, and it is no longer an open secret: “gigafactories” are springing up in North America like mushrooms after rain. And yet, a paradox remains: unlike the traditional factories of the past, these new temples of technology are mostly equipped with machines designed and maintained by foreign companies.
Don’t panic, the quality of the manufacturing is there.
This reality, however, introduces a significant strategic risk: although the establishment of gigafactories in Quebec and Canada allows us to strengthen local and independent production, we remain captive to technologies and means of production that we do not control.
Statistics Canada figures confirm this: our trade deficit in the industrial machinery manufacturing sector has increased from CAD 3,095 million in 2020 to CAD 4,647 million in 2023. This means that the country imports far more industrial machinery than it exports.
Added to this is the fact that Quebec manufacturers are 5.2% less productive than those in Ontario.
And finally, let’s not forget a 2023 survey conducted by Manufacturiers et exportations du Québec, which highlights a glaring lack of qualified labour in this area: 36% of manufacturing companies that responded to the survey indicate that they are struggling with a shortage of skills needed to develop and effectively handle new technologies.
The other side of the coin
Deindustrialization, which began with the decline of our manufacturing industry in the 1970s, was based on a hypothesis that was both risky and excessively optimistic: the idea that we could clearly distinguish and separate the teams responsible for innovation from those responsible for production.
This strategic approach was designed to retain the most rewarding and valuable elements of the industry, such as research and development, in the region while outsourcing processes considered less attractive – generally those involving high operational costs and arduous tasks – to other regions where labour is not only less expensive but also less protected by labour rights.
We were very naive to believe at the time that this policy of relocation would not backfire on us. Naturally, the regions that received these technologies were right to exploit this opportunity to their advantage. Little by little, the workforce took control of the transferred technology, to reproduce and improve it.
This process has generated a new dynamic, where the performers have become direct competitors, with their own capacity for innovation and technological autonomy.
Not only has this inappropriate and irresponsible approach, seeking to keep the best and relocate the rest, weakened our manufacturing base, but it has also created a worrying dependence on foreign production capacities, thereby undermining our industrial and economic autonomy.
The Brain and the Hands
The union between innovation and manufacturing is crucial: the maker’s hand is not just a physical tool, but also the means by which the brain transforms ideas into tangible realities. By treating innovation and manufacturing as two aspects of a single process, we adopt a holistic approach, where each innovation is directly linked to its realization. This fusion of creative thinking and effective production is fundamental to producing a real transformation of our very weak industrial landscape.
Above all, mastery of the manufacturing of production means is particularly crucial in sectors with high technological complexity, such as batteries. The more sophisticated a field is, the more vital production control is to stimulate innovation. Competitiveness in the manufacturing of industrial equipment thus depends on a synergy between process engineering, machining, mechatronics, automation, and mass production capacities.
To revitalize our manufacturing industry, it is crucial to first address a bottleneck well known to those who manufacture: machining.
Machining, which encompasses skills such as turning, milling and other forms of mechanical shaping, is essential for the production of precise components needed to manufacture industrial machinery. Without a skilled and sufficient workforce in these trades, our ability to produce efficient and innovative machinery is directly compromised.
This is why this sector must be considered strategic and a priority in our industrial revitalization efforts. Good machining skills are the foundation on which our entire production capacity is based: without them, it is impossible to meet the precision and quality needs that characterize modern machine manufacturing.
The implementation of advanced training programs, supported by public and private investments, must be a priority.
To achieve this, it is essential to strengthen partnerships between universities and industries to ensure that educational programs respond precisely to current professional demands, such as the recent partnership between battery manufacturer Northvolt and Concordia University.
This includes adapting curricula in CEGEPs, as well as offering continuing education for professionals already in post.
Finally, it is necessary and a priority to revalue these careers, too often abandoned by young people, to guarantee a continuous renewal of the qualified workforce.
In short, without significant investment in the machining sector, we risk stagnating in our ability to innovate and produce the machines needed to support our industry and economy on a large scale.
Strengthening this sector is therefore not only a fundamental step for the revitalization of our manufacturing industry, but also a crucial lever for our competitiveness and our technological independence in the face of international competition.