The Economy of Space
President
Canadian Space Agency
Lunch and Program: 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Sylvain Laporte
The space sector is an economic engine for Canada, generating approximately $5.4 billion in revenues in 2015 and contributing $2.9 billion to our GDP.
Space-related revenues in B.C. alone were $226 million in 2013, with 65 per cent of the province's space workforce being highly qualified personnel such as scientists, engineers, and technicians.
In his keynote, Canadian Space Agency President Sylvain Laporte will discuss the economy of space and how British Columbia is truly active in our nation's space value chain.
About the Speaker
Sylvain Laporte was appointed President of the Canadian Space Agency in March 2015.
Prior to this appointment, he was Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Commissioner of Patents, Registrar of Trade-Marks since 2011.
Previously, he held the position of Executive Director, Industrial Technologies Office (ITO) at Industry Canada where he was responsible for managing financial contribution programs in research and development for the aerospace, defence, security and space industries.
Sylvain joined Industry Canada in March 2007 as the Chief Informatics Officer (CIO).
Before joining the public service, he worked for Canada Post Corporation in various sectors, such as marketing, retail, logistics and information technology.
Sylvain gained extensive experience as an Aerospace Engineer over the course of his 20 year career with the Canadian Forces. He held various positions in such fields as engineering, maintenance, and human resources management.
Sylvain earned a Bachelors degree in computer science from Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean, and a Masters degree in computer engineering from the Royal Military College in Kingston.
Presenting Sponsor:
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