In 2009, Canada marked the 100th anniversary of its first airplane flight. In February 1909, a pioneer by the name of J.A.D. McCurdy took to the sky in a frail-looking biplane called the Silver Dart. Young McCurdy and Canada’s tiny aviation community never looked back, and as a result, their daring achievement led to the development of a whole new industry — Canada’s aerospace industry.

In 2013, The Italian Trade Commission's  Machines Italia Toronto commissioned a study to explore the Canadian aerosapce industry, its trends, , recent and upcoming programs and opportunities for Italian technology providers.