Brampton company building $100M campus and space robotics facility

A Brampton space tech company is bringing jobs and a high-tech robotics facility to the city with its new 200,000 square-foot campus.

MDA (formerly known as MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates), is an international space mission partner and pioneering company in robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence.

The company is developing its new global headquarters and Space Robotics Centre of Excellence in Brampton, with the new state-of-the-art facility expected to create and sustain more than 700 long-term, high-skilled jobs

The new 200,000 square-foot building will feature state-of-the-art labs, manufacturing, R&D, and assembly, integration and test facilities. 

The Centre of Excellence will also house a unique Space Robotics Mission Control Centre, enabling MDA to provide critical on-orbit operations capabilities to commercial and government customers worldwide.

The new developments will cost $100-million over five years and will be the home for the design, development and manufacture of the iconic Canadarm 3 as part of Canada’s contribution to the next NASA lunar mission.

MDA unveils new global headquarters and Space Robotics Centre of Excellence in Brampton, ON! https://t.co/OqO8g9wX9U pic.twitter.com/s1UKDDK86s

— MDA Space (@MDA_space) March 10, 2022

@MDA_space @MGreenley pic.twitter.com/wbDtui1ddb

— Patrick Brown (@patrickbrownont) March 10, 2022

Earlier on Monday, MDA announced a $269-million contract from the Canadian Space Agency for the next phase of the Canadarm 3 program.

The province is supporting this high-impact project with a $25 million investment to help ensure MDA’s world-leading technologies and innovation strengthen the province’s position as the home of Canada’s space industry.

Mike Greenley, Chief Executive Officer of MDA, said the province’s investment will allow the company to stay and grow in Brampton while staying on the cutting edge of the global space economy.

“This new facility will be home to our growing highly-qualified team and will further unlock the potential of our world-class engineering and space mission expertise while allowing us to bring to market a full suite of innovative commercial space robotics products,” said Mike Greenley, Chief Executive Officer of MDA.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said the city is honoured to have MDA select Brampton as the home to its new headquarters, saying the decision to stay in Brampton “speaks to our city emerging as a global leader in innovation and technology.”

“Brampton is in the midst of an exciting transformation, and together with our partners, we are developing our city into a major innovation hub,” Brown said in a statement. That MDA has again selected Brampton as the home to its new headquarters speaks to our city emerging as a global leader in innovation and technology.”

MDA has also been called in by the Canadian government to keep an eye on the current military movements of Russia as that country continues its invasion of Ukraine.

The province said its investment in the project will strengthen Ontario’s advanced technology sector and create new jobs.

“Ontario is home to the brightest talent and a thriving innovation ecosystem that make projects with incredible companies like MDA, a global leader in the space robotics industry, possible,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.