November 7, 2025
Where INNOVATION
builds a NATION.
Canada's Defence Innovation Hub
When the world changes, we don’t just react — we unite, we adapt and we lead.
Canada stands at a defining moment: we must decide how we will defend our future — not just with strength, but with imagination and unity of purpose.
Our secret weapon? Canada’s Capital Region.
National security is a team sport. From the capital region, for the country, Canada’s ideas become its armour. Decisions get made here. Every day in the Capital Region, our power is where policy meets prototype and innovation leaves the lab and enters the field. Our purpose drives next-generation capability worldwide.
Ottawa-Gatineau is more than a capital — it’s Canada’s command centre for sovereign defence innovation. We design the systems that protect our soldiers, secure our skies, defend our North, patrol our seas, and power our allies.
Canada stands at a defining crossroads. This is our moment.
We dream here. We build here. We ship here. We lead here.
Our strategy (Version française ici) is a blueprint for action: a five-year (2025-2030), living strategy to position Canada’s Capital Region as the nation’s premier Defence Innovation Hub. It sets out the priorities, investments, and partnerships required to mobilize Ottawa–Gatineau’s full strength as a region where industry, academia, government, investors, and researchers already collaborate to solve some of Canada’s most complex challenges.
Built on more than 265 stakeholder consultations and community engagements held across Ottawa–Gatineau between May and October 2025, targeted research, and best practice reviews, this strategy reflects a new era of alignment and shared purpose. It captures the collective ambition of leaders across every sector to advance our Forces, strengthen sovereignty, and power Canada’s competitiveness in an increasingly complex global landscape.
At the heart of this vision is a firm commitment: Canada must meet NATO’s 5% GDP defence spending target by 2030 ($150 billion) to maintain its standing in the alliance. But this is more than a global or fiscal benchmark. It is a strategic imperative: to protect our sovereignty, defend the Arctic, modernize our military, and build a more resilient, inclusive, and globally competitive economy. This is not just a policy directive. It is a generational nation-building opportunity.
Lire le résumé de la stratégie
Our five-year roadmap sets out clear priorities and actions to strengthen Ottawa–Gatineau as Canada’s National Defence Innovation Hub. We will:
Linking government, academia, industry, and investors through a new Ottawa–Gatineau Defence Innovation Hub Task Force
Modernizing testing sites, labs, and facilities (including Area X.O and NRC labs) to accelerate commercialization and adoption
Securing up to $3 billion in public and private capital to strengthen our economy and create high-value jobs
Improving access to procurement pathways, export markets, and venture funding for startups and scaleups
Developing inclusive training programs, supporting veterans and underrepresented groups, and attracting global talent
Positioning Ottawa-Gatineau as the preferred North American landing point for allied defence and dual-use technology firms
The Ottawa–Gatineau Defence Innovation Hub Task Force will lead implementation, bringing together leaders from industry, academia, government, hospitals, and the investment community. This leadership group will coordinate actions, identify funding, track progress, and report annually on outcomes — ensuring accountability and measurable results.
Stay informed on the breakthroughs shaping Canadian defence innovation in the Capital Region. Explore the latest stories on how founders and companies, research, technology, and collaboration are strengthening our nation’s security, economy, and global readiness.
Tune into this seasons’ Invested in Our New Reality: Defence Innovation series to hear directly from the innovators, founders and leaders shaping Canada’s future. This season explores how collaborative innovation in the Ottawa-Gatineau region is strengthening sovereignty and contributing to our readiness here and abroad.
Season #15: Defence Innovation Series
Episode 1: Hamid Arabzadeh, Chairman & CEO, RANOVUS
Episode 2: Glenn Cowan, Founder and Managing Director, ONE9
Episode 3: James Nguyen, CEO and Co-founder of Quantropi Inc
Hosted by Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe & Invest Ottawa President and CEO Sonya Shorey
9:00am
Hosted by ICTC and CMC Microsystems
10:00am – 1:00pm
Hosted by The Canadian Global Affairs Institute
8:30am – 6:30pm
Hosted by CADSI
1:00pm – 2:00pm EST
Hosted by the University of Ottawa, Kanata North campus
8:00am – 4:00pm
Hosted by The Canadian Global Affairs Institute
8:30am – 6:30pm
It is not a single facility or institution. It is a mission-driven, collaborative ecosystem that unites the full defence and security strength of Canada’s Capital Region for maximum national and allied impact. This integrated network combines, mobilizes, and amplifies the collective expertise, infrastructure, and ingenuity of our defence, technology, and research communities to pursue bold opportunities, advance sovereign capabilities, and address the grand challenges facing our nation and those who defend it.
Join our mission to strengthen our nation’s readiness by building here, investing here, collaborating here all in an effort to protect Canadians and our allies.
Canada’s National Defence Innovation Hub is led by the City of Ottawa, Ville de Gatineau, and Invest Ottawa with partners across the ecosystem including the Ottawa Board of Trade and Kanata North Business Association.
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