NGen: Canada's Manufacturers Must Out-Compete, Not Just Out-Wait, American Protectionism

HAMILTON, Ontario, Aug. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With trade talks between Canada and the United States now at an impasse, Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) says the moment demands an urgent scale-up of advanced manufacturing across the country: not as an option, but as the only viable path forward for a sector facing mounting pressure on every front.

"This is exactly what NGen was built for. Trade talks may have stalled, but Canada's manufacturers can't afford to,” said Jayson Myers, CEO of NGen. “Advanced manufacturing — the use of leading-edge technologies and techniques on the shop floor — is now the single most important lever we have for economic sovereignty, supply chain resilience, and trade diversification. NGen has been driving that shift for years, and we're ready to accelerate it.”

American protectionism is no longer just a tariff story. Recent FCC regulatory changes now restrict Canadian exports of robots, autonomous vehicles, and power converters critical to clean energy. These technologies are at the heart of Canada's advanced manufacturing base.

"Diversification is not optional. Canadian manufacturers have no choice but to find new customers beyond the US. But that takes more than marketing. We have to compete with the best in the world on quality, production efficiency, delivery time, and customer satisfaction, whether we're expanding here at home or abroad,” Myers said.

NGen programs are specifically created for this purpose:

• redesigning products so materials and components can be sourced from Canadian or other reliable suppliers
• linking manufacturers with innovators in AI, robotics, new materials, and automation
• scaling production capacity fast enough to meet new demand as it emerges
  
  

The federal government’s strategies for Market Diversification, Defence Investment, Infrastructure, Electricity, Automotive, Food Security, Forestry, and AI are promising. Executing them successfully will hinge on Canada's ability to integrate technology, skills, and manufacturing capabilities to work together, across the country, at a pace matched to the moment.

Connecting those elements is precisely where NGen's expertise lies.

NGen's collaborative project model has mobilized over $700 million in industry investment alongside approximately $600 million in public funding, resulting in some 280 NGen projects generating more than $10 billion in product sales and licensing revenue while creating thousands of net new jobs.

“NGen exists to connect Canadian technology, industry and people to face the challenges ahead, and we're ready to play a leading role in Canada's manufacturing renaissance,” said Myers.

For more on NGen’s initiatives for Canadian innovators and manufacturers, visit https://www.ngen.ca/.

About NGen

Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) is the industry-led, not-for-profit organization that leads Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing.

Founded in 2018, NGen channels industry expertise to connect manufacturers, technology companies, and researchers to accelerate innovation, strengthen Canada’s industrial base, and drive economic growth.

Media Contact

Robbie MacLeod
Robbie.macleod@ngen.ca 
613-297-3578