American and Canadian Collaboration to help North American wind energy industry.
Press Release Summary:
To create clean sources of energy and provide jobs in North America, SME joined forces with American Wind Energy Association and Canadian Wind Energy Association. Via separate agreements, associations will support development of wind energy supply chain in US and Canada, provide wind-energy market information to manufacturers, and provide manufacturing knowledge. Other goals include connecting manufacturing capabilities with needs as well as prepping work force with needed skills.
Original Press Release:
New Collaborations to Aid Supply Chain Development, Growth and Jobs for North American Wind Energy Industry
DEARBORN, Mich. - Creating clean sources of energy and providing jobs are key goals of the North American wind energy industry. To help achieve these goals, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) has joined forces with the American Wind Energy Association on one side of the border and with the Canadian Wind Energy Association on the other.
In separate agreements, these associations will:
"SME's partnerships with two of the strongest industry voices for wind energy ¯ the American Wind Energy Association and the Canadian Wind Energy Association ¯ will help build capacity and provide support for the wind-energy manufacturing supply chain," says Pam Hurt, strategic alliances manager at SME.
"These working relationships enable SME to connect manufacturers to a growth industry that is fairly young but still complex. By sharing technical information and programming, our associations support advanced manufacturing and its workforce."
For its part, AWEA is "working with wind turbine manufacturers from around the world to encourage them to locate manufacturing facilities in the U.S.," says Jeff Anthony, business development manager, AWEA.
"They will need to be supplied by manufacturers for components and sub-components in this country, and SME can help us direct this role through educational partnerships and working collaboratively."
Chris Forrest, vice president, communications and marketing, CanWEA says, "SME will help equip the wind industry with the technical manufacturing expertise needed to design and produce innovative products for the future. Some of these components are massively heavy and difficult to transport so they must be built close to installation, which helps drive the need to develop extended supply chains. At the same time, the partnership will provide wind energy market information to manufacturers looking to expand into a growing new sector."
Some specific collaborative efforts include AWEA's participation at SME signature events like FABTECH, WESTEC and EASTEC, and CanWEA's participation at SME's Canadian shows such as the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show. Conversely, SME sponsors and provides expertise at AWEA and CanWEA annual conferences and seminars.
The organizations will educate their members on the initiatives to bring direct benefit to their respective memberships. By leveraging the combined marketing efforts, trade publications, e-communications and newsletters, technical communities of interest, webinars and other programs, a strong industry can be supported for the long-term.
"SME will provide the platform for a technical community network to share manufacturing knowledge, expertise and opportunities for the North American wind energy industry," says Hurt.
"The wind energy industry has seen unprecedented growth in recent years, even in 2009 during the midst of a huge economic recession. The industry will be installing the second-highest number of wind turbines in the U.S. this year," Anthony adds.
And in Canada, CanWEA has already seen "a shift from sourcing wind energy materials from Europe and Asia, creating a new and rapidly growing opportunity to build manufacturing capacity in North America," says Forrest.
SME's Pam Hurt says of the collaborations overall, "The entire world is racing to build the infrastructure to support clean energy development. We have a window of opportunity to not only build and enhance the North American supply chain, but define and train the green work force for tomorrow's challenges that are only now being recognized. Working together and aligning our resources is a smart solution to those challenges."
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About SME:
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) is the premier source for manufacturing knowledge, education and networking.Through its many programs, events and activities, SME connects manufacturing practitioners to each other, to the latest technology and the most up-to-date processes spanning all manufacturing industries and disciplines, plus the key areas of aerospace and defense, medical device, motor vehicles, including motorsports, and oil and gas. A 501(c)3 organization, SME has members in more than 70 countries and is supported by a network of technical communities and chapters worldwide.
About AWEA:
The American Wind Energy Association promotes wind energy as a clean source of electricity for consumers around the world. AWEA is a national trade association representing wind-power project developers, equipment handlers, equipment suppliers, services providers, parts manufacturers, utilities, researchers and others involved in the wind industry - one of the world's fastest growing energy industries. AWEA represents hundreds of wind energy advocates from around the world. The association provides up-to-date information on:
About CanWEA:
CanWEA is the voice of Canada's wind energy industry, actively promoting the responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy on behalf of its more than 450 members. A national non-profit association, CanWEA serves as Canada's leading source of credible information about wind energy and its social, economic and environmental benefits. To join other global leaders in the wind energy industry, CanWEA believes Canada can and must reach its target of producing 20 per cent or more of the country's electricity from wind by 2025. The document Wind Vision 2025 -Powering Canada's Future is available at www.canwea.ca.
CanWEA's vision document, Wind Vision 2025 - Powering Canada's Future, estimates that wind energy has the potential to be one of Canada's next great economic opportunities while providing environmental benefits. Achieving this goal will also create $80 billion (CDN) in new investment, a minimum 50,000 new jobs, and provide economic development opportunities for rural communities throughout Canada.
