Carrefour québécois de la fabrication additive | CQFA

The CQFA

The Carrefour québécois de la fabrication additive (CQFA) is a structuring project that relies on sharing and consultation to stimulate the development of Quebec’s additive manufacturing (AM) ecosystem. The CQFA targets all of the ecosystem’s stakeholders (manufacturers, researchers, professionals, etc.) while focusing on the sector’s Quebec-based companies. It addresses every AM-related process and material, along with every aspect involved, including application, research and development, financing, entrepreneurship and technology adoption, along with training and skills development.

Driven by PRIMA Québec and its collaborators, the CQFA is managed by a volunteer committee that represents Quebec’s additive manufacturing ecosystem.

An advanced industrial offer
For strategic sectors
With expertise in R&D

OBJECTIves

The CQFA’s objectives are the following:

To raise awareness of Quebec’s additive manufacturing activities, along with the programs and services available for its development;
To promote the expertise of various stakeholders in Quebec’s AM ecosystem;
To pool the knowledge, experience and resources available throughout Quebec;
To create business opportunities and partnerships;
To stimulate local and regional purchasing, along with the export of Quebec-based materials, products and services;
To help key sectors in Quebec remain competitive by taking ownership of AM, or by partnering with Quebec suppliers to accelerate and create flexibility in their supply chains.

History

The CQFA’s creation stems from the Livre blanc sur la fabrication additive au Québec, or the whitepaper on additive manufacturing in Quebec, unveiled by PRIMA Québec and its partners in March 2020, namely Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation du Québec (MEI), the Centre québécois de recherche et de développement de l’aluminium (CQRDA), MEDTEQ+ and P4BUS Systems.. The document’s main recommendations cover a variety of issues. AM involves a number of technologies, all at various levels of readiness. Quebec’s key economic sectors have not sufficiently exploited its potential. The province’s industrial AM offer is primarily composed of SMEs, but too little knowledge, experience and resources are being shared between them. According to the whitepaper’s conclusions, stimulating a sense of belonging among the ecosystem’s various stakeholders would accelerate the industry’s growth.

“The dream of a one-stop shop is achievable. It would offer a perfect response to the entrepreneur’s need for agility.”