Minister Joly, Minister McGuinty and Secretary of State Fuhr announce over $900 million to boost defence innovation
Press Release + Noah Note
March 9, 2026 – Ottawa, Ontario
Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, together with the Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement), announced that the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) will invest over $900 million under Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, a long-term plan to support national prosperity and build a resilient domestic defence economy. Through the strategy, the Government of Canada is accelerating the development of defence and dual-use technologies to ensure Canada meets our defence needs and to build a globally competitive Canadian defence sector.
Building on its long-standing collaboration with the Department of National Defence (DND) and industry partners, the NRC will:
Grow domestic capacity in drone and aerospace technologies, including the creation of the Drone Innovation Hub, and acquire a new Canadian-built Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft that will be used for defence-related technology development with industry and academia
Support Canadian businesses developing dual-use technology through Defence Industry Assist (DI Assist), a new stream under the NRC’s Industrial Research Assistance Program
Accelerate research and development in biomedical countermeasures
Reinforce Canada’s edge in quantum technologies for defence applications
Through this investment, the NRC will collaborate with businesses and research institutions to advance Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, strengthening national security, fostering economic prosperity and reinforcing key industrial capabilities. These initiatives will help the NRC to drive innovation that protects Canadians and keeps Canadian businesses at the forefront of defence technology.
Today’s announcement reflects the Government of Canada’s sustained action to strengthen the industrial foundations that support Canada’s security and economic resilience. By aligning long‑term defence investments with industrial capability, Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy will create high-quality jobs and new opportunities for Canadians across the country, strengthen domestic supply chains, position Canada’s defence sector for long-term growth and reinforce Canada as a trusted partner to its allies.
The Government of Canada is pursuing a long-term, whole-of-government approach to strengthening the defence industrial base as a pillar of national security, economic resilience and prosperity.
Quotes
“The world is becoming more complex, and at the same time, the global economy is shifting. Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy will strengthen our domestic industrial base, create high‑quality jobs across the country and help Canadian companies compete and win globally. The NRC investments announced today will advance cutting‑edge dual‑use technologies and deliver world‑class capabilities for the Canadian Armed Forces. Our government is meeting the moment so Canadians benefit from a stronger, more resilient defence economy.”
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
“Canada’s security depends on our ability to innovate at home. Through the Defence Industrial Strategy, we are strengthening our sovereign capabilities and supporting Canadian companies in the development of next-generation aerospace, drone, quantum and biomedical technologies. This investment will help to advance defence and dual-use technologies to equip the Canadian Armed Forces with cutting-edge solutions while reinforcing a resilient, globally competitive defence industrial base.”
The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence
“Today’s investments will give Canadian industry the opportunity to deliver for the Canadian Armed Forces by innovating, competing and creating good-paying jobs for Canadians. Together with the Defence Investment Agency, we will move cutting‑edge capabilities into the hands of our forces faster, build a more resilient supply chain and grow Canada’s defence industrial base.”
The Honourable Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement)
“For over a century, the National Research Council of Canada has advanced research and innovation that strengthen our nation’s defence and security. Building on the depth of our expertise, extensive partnerships with research institutions, and connections to ambitious Canadian businesses, we remain committed to advancing sovereign defence technologies that enhance security, create prosperity and reinforce Canada’s strategic economic position for the future.”
Mitch Davies, President, National Research Council of Canada
Quick facts
Initial investments under the Defence Industrial Strategy contribute to Canada spending 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence in 2025–2026.
Increasing investments in core military capabilities, building up Canadian industry and investing in dual-use technologies are putting Canada on a pathway to meet the new North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Investment Pledge to invest 5% of GDP by 2035.
The Canadian defence industry contributes nearly $10 billion to Canada’s GDP and supports over 81,000 jobs.
The NRC was established by the Government of Canada during the First World War to coordinate and promote scientific research that could contribute to the national war effort. The NRC has evolved into Canada’s leading research and innovation organization, supporting science and technology across a wide range of fields—including aerospace, engineering, life sciences and digital technologies—and leveraging these capabilities for defence priorities.
The National Research Council of Canada’s (NRC) new programs in support of Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy reinforce its long-standing partnership with the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces. This enduring collaboration represents the single largest client relationship of the NRC today.
Since 2021, the NRC has delivered more than 975 joint projects with DND, advancing aerospace, sensors, marine and biosecurity technologies.
The NRC’s Challenge programs have provided more than $240 million in joint research and development funding since 2018. They have produced 2,600 technologies and tools and nine spin-off companies.
Noah Note: Most of this isnt new news. A lot of this is moving forward on the policies set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy including the new Defence Industry Assist (DI Assist) stream and the Drone Innovation Hub.
The including though of a dedicates testbed aircraft for NRC is new though and is a welcomed addition to Canadas research ecosystem. It's something you never really consider or think about until it happens, at least most of the time. I know it has been demanded for a while.
Testbed platforms are an important part of the R&D ecosystem, and their inclusion early is the DIS gives a good, early win to a strategy still trying to fully find itself. It's a small win but a win nonetheless. The rest of this announcement is morely moving the DIS from paper to actual commitment. That also is good mind you. The DIS itself set out some fairly ambitious timelines and expextations for quick movement, and this is a good way to show that the government is commited to that to the average person.
Getting cheap win out the way early is good, especially when it is building needed capacity. The combination of dedicated NRC Innovation hubs along with the platforms to test new sensors and equipment might seem like a bare minimum, and truthfully it is, but to make the moves to create that proper ecosystem, that proper enviornment where Canada can.support end-to-end development of critical and advanced technologies is important.
All good news, NRC is truly one of our gems!
The Liberals have made squeezing the PR juice from re-announcing stuff down to a fine art,