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Canadian businesses need to seek the right partners and access investment capital to bring innovative products and services to the market. The GE Aviation Engine Testing, Research and Development Centre (TRDC) in Winnipeg represents a perfect storm of partnership and funding.

The $50-million TRDC opened in 2012 and was designed to handle cold weather testing of next-generation jet engines. Located on the grounds of Richardson International Airport, the project teamed GE Aviation, StandardAero, non-profit West Canitest R&D Inc., and the Canadian government. Owned and built by GE Aviation, the facility is managed by StandardAero’s Winnipeg office. In addition to private capital, the facility received $5-million in federal government funding through Western Economic Diversification Canada to purchase specialized testing equipment.

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The project represents an effective combination of partnership and investment, both public and private — the same ingredients identified by Canadian business executives as essential to innovation in the 2013 GE Global innovation Barometer, a worldwide survey.