Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette present to the Defence Innovation Task Force in Ottawa.
Ottawa, ON — Leaders from across Canada’s defence, security, and innovation ecosystem gathered this week for the first official meeting of the Defence Innovation Task Force, marking an important milestone in the next phase of implementation of the region’s Defence Innovation Hub strategy announced last fall.
Established to support implementation of the Defence Innovation Hub strategy, the Task Force brings together 33 leaders from across the defence ecosystem on both sides of the Ottawa River and aligns partners around shared priorities to strengthen Canada’s sovereign capability and drive economic growth across the Ottawa–Gatineau region.
The meeting provided an opportunity to review progress from the first six months of the strategy, with a focus on coordination across partners and next steps to support implementation.
Unlocking $3B in economic potential
Invest Ottawa President and CEO Sonya Shorey addresses the Defence Innovation Task Force in Ottawa.
This work is taking place alongside broader regional efforts to engage federal partners and align with national priorities, on the heels of the recent announcement of the federal government reaching the NATO 2% percent defence expenditure target.
These efforts reflect a coordinated approach to positioning Ottawa–Gatineau as the country’s lead centre for defence, security, and dual-use innovation, including ongoing work to advance opportunities such as the proposed Defence Security Resiliency Bank (DSRB).
Collectively led by Invest Ottawa, the City of Ottawa, Ville de Gatineau, with partners across the ecosystem including the Ottawa Board of Trade and Kanata North Business Association, the Task Force exists to drive new opportunity and impact for innovators and companies in our region, and to help unlock up to $3B in new business, infrastructure and investment for our regional economy.
As the strategy moves into its next phase, the Task Force will continue to play a central role in connecting stakeholders, advancing key initiatives, and supporting the development and adoption of made-in-Canada solutions across defence and related sectors.
- Learn more about Canada’s Capital Region as a global defence innovation hub at dihub.ca.
- Learn more about Canada’s Capital Region Defence Innovation Task Force
- Find out why Ottawa-Gatineau is uniquely positioned to be the home of the proposed Defence, Security and Resiliency Bank (DSRB).
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