DAIR to Innovate

Dr. Fassi Kafyeke
Chief of Advanced Aerodynamics
Bombardier

Fassi Kafyeke has an Aerospace Engineering Master’s degree from Université de Liège (Belgium), a Master’s degree (Air Transport Engineering) from the Cranfield Institute of Technology (U.K.) and a Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering, Aerodynamics) from École Polytechnique de Montréal (Canada).

Fassi Kafyeke joined Bombardier in 1982 and has had a long professional career, including 25 years in aerodynamics. For 15 years he has been Chief of Advanced Aerodynamics, responsible for the aerodynamic design of Challenger 300 and Global 6000 business jets, CRJ 700, 900 and 1000 regional jets and the Cseries single-aisle aircraft CS100 and CS300, now Airbus A220. Since 2007, he became Director, then Senior Director, responsible for the development of the strategic technologies that can be found on Bombardier aircraft (fly-by-wire, composite wing, new generation aerodynamics, etc). In 2020, he became Fellow Research, Innovation and Collaborations for Bombardier Aviation. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and has been active on many consortium boards, such as CRIAQ, GARDN, SA2GE and AERO 21. He is currently on assignment at Aero Montréal to lead efforts to set up the ZIAQ, the Montreal Aerospace Innovation Zone.

Dr Kafyeke received in 2001 the Grand Prix d’Excellence de l’Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) and in 2009 the Prix Innovation of École Polytechnique de Montreal. In 2003, he served as President of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI). He is a co-author of the book « Computational Fluid Dynamics for Engineers » and of several papers and lecture notes in Aerodynamics.

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Dr. Ibrahim Yimer 
Vice President, Transportation & Manufacturing 
NRC

Dr. Ibrahim Yimer is Vice-President of the Transportation and Manufacturing division where he oversees the Aerospace and Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centres. Between September 2020 and 2021, he served in the same role in an acting capacity. Previous to this role he was Director General of the NRC's Aerospace Research Centre since January 2018.

Since 1999, Dr. Yimer has occupied a series of roles at the NRC, including Director of the Gas Turbine Laboratory, Program Manager of the Gas Turbine Aerodynamics and Combustion Group, and a Senior Research Officer. He began his career as a research scientist in the private sector with Fives North American in Cleveland, USA.

Dr. Yimer has successfully led the creation and implementation of various large-scale, R&D partnerships with industry and government stakeholders both nationally and internationally. He is a renowned expert in the field of gas turbine combustion and fuels with years of applied research in alternative fuels, combustion and optical diagnostics. He is well recognized in the science and technology community, having led and played instrumental roles in numerous leading international scientific associations such as ASME International, the International Forum for Aviation Research (IFAR), International Society of Air Breathing Engines (ISABE), and International Congress on Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS), in which he currently serves as a board member and national representative.

Dr. Yimer earned a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, followed by a MSc and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, while specializing in Low-emission Combustion. He currently serves as Chair and ICAO representative of IFAR and as a Director on the boards of WestCaRD, and Aero Montréal.

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DAIR to Innovate

24 October 2023 – Full Day

Bombardier Centre for Aerospace & Aviation, Centennial College – Downsview Campus

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24 October 2023 – Full Day

Bombardier Centre for Aerospace & Aviation, Centennial College – Downsview Campus

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Jean-Sébastien Coulaud

Ron Ganis

Dr. David Zingg

Dr. Fassi Kafyeke

Dr. Ibrahim Yimer

Phil Arthurs

Paul Walsh

Guy Dulude