This article examines Canada’s changing defence and security environment and the opportunity to build a stronger domestic defence industrial base. Recent global conflicts have challenged long-standing assumptions about Canada’s economic, defence, and security policies. Prime Minister Mark Carney describes the current period as “a rupture,” while the federal government has committed $104 million over five years to establish a stand-alone Defence Investment Agency.

The article highlights COVE, a not-for-profit technology organisation focused on advancing solutions from seabed to space. It uses Kraken Robotics as an example of Canadian innovation already achieving international recognition.

It highlights Kraken’s contracts with the UK and Polish navies and its KATFISH mine countermeasure applications, noting the growing international attention on subsea security amid the conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

More than 90 per cent of global trade depends on maritime routes, while more than 95 per cent of internet data travels through approximately 400 subsea fibre-optic cables. Traditional, manned inspection methods are not sufficient at the scale required and that autonomous drones and robotic systems can enable continuous surveillance across large and difficult-to-access areas.

The article concludes by positioning Kraken as “a remarkable success story” and an example of how Canadian dual-use technology can develop into globally competitive defence and security capabilities. 

Article: Canada Can Build World Leading Dual Use Firms, We Already Have