TKMS launches the Canadian Defence & Dual-Use Innovation Ecosystem (CDDE)
Press Release + Noah Note
The initiative complements and connects existing Canadian innovation hubs by focusing on development, industrialization and deployment of operational products.
CDDE provides an end-to-end pathway from research to operational capability and export-ready solutions.
Kiel, February 2, 2026 – TKMS today announced the launch of the Canadian Defence & Dual-Use Innovation Ecosystem (CDDE), a national initiative designed to strengthen Canada’s ability to translate advanced research into deployable defence capabilities and scalable civilian applications.
The CDDE will be launched with industrial partners and core academic partners, including Western University, and will integrate with broader national and allied innovation efforts. Discussions with other universities and institutions are already at an advanced stage. Cooperation with partners in Germany and Norway will further support joint development, interoperability and shared technology roadmaps.
“This initiative is not about duplicating what already exists in Canada’s innovation landscape,” said Thomas Keupp, Chief Sales Officer at TKMS. “It is about connecting it to an industrial backbone that can take promising technologies beyond experimentation and into service, at scale, securely and sustainably.”
It aims to convert operational defence and security challenges into marketready solutions by tightly coupling research with demonstrators, prototyping and development. It is designed to foster a resilient Canadian supply chain, generate commercial spin-offs and create high-skill jobs across the country.
The CDDE will initially focus on maritime and Arctic domains, where long development cycles, stringent certification requirements and sovereign capability needs demand close integration between research, engineering, manufacturing and end users.
By aligning these elements, the initiative aims to shorten time-to-capability while keeping intellectual property, talent and value creation in Canada. By focusing on development, industrialization and long-term sustainment, the ecosystem reinforces TKMS’s commitment to Canada’s strategic sovereignty and ensures that innovation efforts translate into enduring defence and dualuse capabilities, economic growth and skilled employment.
About us
TKMS is one of the world’s leading naval companies with more than 9,100 employees (including temporary workers) at three shipyards in Kiel, Wismar and Itajaí (Brazil), and with locations worldwide. The company is active as a systems supplier for submarines and naval surface vessels as well as for maritime electronics and security technologies. Around 3,300 employees work at the Kiel site, making it the largest shipyard location in Germany.
185 years of history and the constant striving for improvement allow the company to set new standards time and time again. TKMS offers its customers worldwide tailored solutions to meet the highly complex challenges of a changing world. The driving forces behind this innovative energy are the company’s employees, who shape the future of TKMS with passion and commitment every day.
More information at: www.tkmsgroup.com
More information about the CDDE at: www.team212cd.ca/cdde
Noah Note: Leveraging universities and Canada’s above-average education system is a great way to win favour. One thing I always tell people is that Canada—and Canadians in general—are overrepresented in the education space. That representation is an asset, one that can't easily or quickly be replicated nor taken away from us. It is a fundamental net asset that we can leverage, and while not perfect, it is something that can bring exponential benefit year-over-year if given the opportunity to thrive.
This sort of long-term, strategic envisioning is the kind of stuff I’m happy both potential suppliers are doing, be that long-term infrastructure or long-term investment into people. Both are of significant value to me, and I’m sure to others looking at this stuff.
Great catch on leveraging Canada's education overrepresentation. The industrial backbone piece is key here since lots of research ecosystems stall at the prototype stage without pathways to manufacturing. Maritime and Arctic focus makes sense given Canada's geography, but the real test will be wheter TKMS can actually coordinate between Western and other universities without bureaucracy slowing everything down. Curious to see how the Norway/Germany partnerships influence IP retention.