Dec 15 2004
Alcan Inc. announced today that it will join automaker General Motors of Canada and the National Research Council's Aluminum Technology Centre NRC-ATC to create ground- breaking techniques that will be utilized in new aluminum applications for automotive structures.
"This is a landmark agreement for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region as it brings together three innovative organizations, focused on jointly developing innovative applications for the aluminum and automotive industry," said Jean Simon, President of Alcan Primary Metal, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. "We are convinced that the establishment of this capability in the Saguenay Lac Saint Jean region, will play an important role in supporting, developing and sustaining an aluminum structures capability in the region, equipping it with competitive advantages, while providing better access to the global transportation market," added Simon.
The joint research and development program began a few weeks ago, and the work being conducted at the NRC-ATC involves professionals from Alcan's Arvida Research and Development Centre. Five new high-technology positions were created specifically for this initiative. In the long term, the program's success is expected to lead to advanced applications in the automotive industry.
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