Schaeffler welcoming innovators through its doors

Various partners gather at the front entrance of Schaeffler Group’s main Stratford plant on Ontario Street. Through a partnership with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN), the manufacturer will be opening its doors for innovators soon.

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Local manufacturer Schaeffler Group has become the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN)’s newest incubator. As Raed Kadri, head of OVIN, told the Times, the partnership is an exercise in future-proofing Ontario’s position as a global leader in the automotive industry.

“This is about building a supply chain of the future,” Kadri said. “As we build our companies, our homegrown companies, they will hopefully grow Ontario. They will employ Ontarians and that’s really our objective in OVIN – is how do we ensure that we’re creating opportunities and good-paying jobs for Ontarians.”

OVIN is an initiative of the provincial government that aims to advance automotive technology by supplying support for research and development, talent and skills development, technology acceleration, business and technical supports and demonstration grounds.

The partnership between it and Schaeffler, according to the company’s leadership, will accelerate efforts to convene industry, researchers, start-ups and scale-ups to help Ontario’s automotive and mobility supply chain and strengthen relationships between Canadian and German automotive and mobility technology companies. It will connect Ontario-based small- and medium-sized enterprises with key players in the automotive and mobility ecosystem – players like Schaeffler.

By tapping into Ontario’s deep industry knowledge and research leadership, the program aims to help start-ups and scale-ups move efficiently from research to market.

“At Schaeffler, our innovation strategy is centred around key partnerships that advance different fields of motion,” said Jeff Hemphill, chief technical officer for Schaeffler in the Americas, in a media release. “Joining OVIN Incubators enables us to work closely with start-ups and academia to accelerate the development of new mobility solutions such as software-defined vehicles, battery technology, humanoid robotics, and electric aviation, and bring fresh perspectives into our organization. We look forward to connecting with innovators on scaling ideas that have the potential to transform our industry.”

“Ontario and Germany have long shared a commitment to excellence across the automotive industry, and today’s announcement marks another milestone in our collaborative efforts to strengthen supply chains,” added Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Through this new strategic partnership, Schaeffler Technologies and OVIN will ensure Ontario-based companies have the tools needed to accelerate research, scale innovation and stay competitive in the international market.”

Speaking with the Times, Hemphill was enthusiastic about the project, however acknowledged that the announcement is early and there are no projects yet defined, nor is there a solidified timeline.