mode40 and CME Launch AeroTrace Initiative to Accelerate AI Adoption in Prairie Aerospace and Defence

WINNIPEG, July 31, 2026 – mode40 and Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) today announced a partnership to launch the AeroTrace Initiative, a Prairie-wide program designed to demonstrate, validate and communicate the value of AI-enabled systems, traceability, digital-thread capabilities and operational intelligence for aviation, aerospace and defence manufacturers.

AeroTrace will involve nine participating manufacturers — three each in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Eligible participants may operate in aviation, aerospace, defence or dual-use manufacturing. Each company will receive a manufacturer-specific discovery and opportunity assessment, implementation or pilot planning, technical support, validation activities and a value summary.

The initiative will focus on operational visibility and production intelligence; traceability and digital-thread continuity; quality management and audit readiness; defence and aerospace compliance support; supplier performance visibility; scheduling, throughput and constraint management; asset and process monitoring; and actionable insights for management and front-line teams. mode40 will lead technical delivery, while CME will lead manufacturer recruitment, regional coordination, stakeholder engagement and sector-facing activities.

AeroTrace is structured to reduce the cost and risk of adoption for participating manufacturers. Each manufacturer project is intended to be supported equally by three contributors: one-third from mode40, one-third from CME through third-party funding, and one-third from the participating manufacturer.

Prairie manufacturers want practical pathways to adopt AI that strengthen productivity, traceability and compliance. AeroTrace brings manufacturers, funders and industry stakeholders together with mode40 to test these capabilities in real operations and generate evidence the broader sector can use.

– Brittany Scarrow, VP, Prairie Operations and Member Services, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters

Results from the nine manufacturer projects will be consolidated into an industry white paper examining the practical value of AI-based systems, implementation barriers, cybersecurity and data-governance considerations, and recommended next steps for broader sector adoption. Findings will be anonymized and governed by confidentiality, security and publication controls.

Aero space and defence manufacturers do not need another disconnected pilot. They need operational AI tied to traceability, quality and execution. AeroTrace is designed to prove that value manufacturer by manufacturer and create a repeatable model the sector can trust.

– Cameron Bergen, Founder and CEO, mode40

CME and mode40 are now identifying participating manufacturers. Prairie-based companies operating in aviation, aerospace, defence or dual-use manufacturing that are interested in AeroTrace can contact Brittany Scarrow at brittany.scarrow@cme-mec.ca or mode40 at sales@mode40.com.