Telescope construction is a mixture of high precision fabrication, exquisite quality large optics and sophisticated control systems. Canadian and French firms have developed new capabilities through telescope construction. In the case of the Gemini telescopes, Canadian firms have won contracts that greatly exceed the Canadian investment in Gemini.
Canadian industry has the capability of doing most of the work for the proposed telescope, with the exception of the mirror. CFHT in its original incarnation helped to create a substantial product line for Agra's Coast Steel Fabricators. The technical challenges of this telescope, which is highly automated, provide new opportunities for astronomers to help move expertise from the laboratory to the economy.