Aerospace, Defense and Space Research Initiative – Faculty of Engineering

Aerospace, Defense & Space Research Initiative

Aerospace industry engagement

By engaging researchers from every discipline across the faculty, McMaster Engineering can provide a broad range of expertise for design, development and research challenges faced by manufacturers, suppliers and decision-makers for Canada’s aerospace, defense, security and space local and global supply chains.

  • 50%

    increase in research funding over the last 5 years

  • 30+

    esteemed research chairs

  • 20+

    prestigious research centres and institutes

  • 600+

    local and international partner employers

Truly cross-disciplinary research

Our expertise in areas lIke advanced manutacturing. next generation automotive and mobilitv research, biomaterials and smart systems makes us a strong partner and contributor to Canada’s aerospace. detense and space sectors.

  • Energy generation and utilization (battery technology, smart & micro grids for remote or critical asset protection)
  • Industry 4.0, IoT, robotics and machine learning/cognition
  • New materials design and testing (lightweight alloys, composite materials)
  • Smart sensors and bio sensors for a range of applications
  • Protective technologies and nanoscale coatings for corrosion and/or wear resistance
  • Additive manufacturing for efficient production of parts with complex shapes
  • Big data and predictive analytics for decision making
  • Security and cyber security
  • Wearable technologies

Explore our research clusters

The Faculty of Engineering is comprised of two schools and seven departments that offer a unique range of programs and opportunities for students, faculty and partners to engage. Our Faculty members work collaboratively, across disciplines through eight unique cluster areas of research.

  • Advanced Materials and Manufacturing
  • Digital and Smart Systems
  • Environment
  • Energy
  • Health and Bio-innovation
  • Infrastructure
  • Micro-nano Systems
  • Transportation

Initiative leads

External Advisory Board

Our Advisory Board is comprised of highly esteemed, trusted partners with broad and significant expertise across numerous facets of Canada’s aerospace and defense corporate and government sectors. Our advisors support and guide the faculty through its exploration of aerospace and defense-related research with both a Canadian and international outlook.

The Centre for Automotive Materials and Corrosion at MARC works alongside leading scientists and industry partners on cutting-edge science to test the mechanical and environmental degredation limits of materials. Faculty, researchers, graduate, and undergraduate students form the basis of CAMC resulting in high level graduates with fundamental and applied knowledge of materials, testing, and design.

Director

Dr. Joseph McDermid

Professor, Associate Chair – Undergraduate, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Admin contact

Beth McNally

Principal Research Engineer and Operations Manager, Centre for Automotive Materials and Corrosion

A world class research and development centre that promotes hybrid technology and its transfer to Canada while working with industrial partners to enhance their global competitiveness and augment their capabilities in training and recruitment.

Director

Dr. Saeid Habibi

Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering

The MMRI meets sophisticated research and development needs of leading manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace, biomedical and consumer goods industries, along with the manufacturing tooling, coatings-surface engineering, dye and mould support industries.

Director

Dr. Stephen C. Veldhuis

Professor, Director (MMRI) and Braley-Orlick Chair in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering

The Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research is an interdisciplinary research organization with the mandate to develop, support and co-ordinate all materials research-related activities at McMaster. The facilities of the Institute and its pool of expertise are also available to industry and organizations that require assistance with materials research and development or material analysis.

MITL conducts world-class, multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral, collaborative research in transportation and logistics to:

  • Accelerate the identification, mobilization and adoption of knowledge and innovation;
  • Identify and address pressing regional and national challenges in transportation and logistics including those of vulnerable populations;
  • Educate the next generation of thought leaders in transportation and logistics;
  • Foster long-term strategic partnerships between the academic, public and private sectors, and;
  • Contribute to the international transportation and logistics research agenda.

The CCEM provides world-class electron microscopy capabilities and expertise to Canadian researchers and industry working in a broad range of fields

Director

Dr. Nabil Bassim

Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

The W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology within McMaster University’s Faculty of Engineering is dedicated to student-centred experiential learning through flexible, adaptable and innovative programs and teaching using state of the art resources and facilities. Our learning environment emphasizes hands-on education and transferable skills to produce engaged graduates ready to serve a diverse community and societal needs.

Canada’s Premiere Research Park with a focus on biotech and advanced manufacturing.

  • 850+ tenants / 75+ companies in a 54 acre campus
  • Most financially successful research park in Canada
  • Home to Synapse biotech consortium, two accelerators, one national lab, state of the art biomedical engineering labs, and the largest automotive research centre in North America

Canadian Government Partner in higher TRL development projects

  • Higher TRL development projects
  • Preproduction trials
  • Large scale manufacturing capacity: casting, rolling, forming…
  • Testing
  • Major development centre in armour design

Contact us

Faculty of Engineering, McMaster University

John Hodgins Engineering Building
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON L8S 4L7

Email: engadsc@mcmaster.ca