Ottawa, Ontario, MARCH 09, 2026 -- Under Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy, the NRC is investing over $900 million to develop aerospace defence capabilities, support Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing technologies for civilian and military purposes, and accelerate quantum technologies and defence applications.

Building Canada's future aerospace defence capabilities

To reinforce Canada's aerospace and defence industrial base and capabilities, the NRC is investing over $500 million to advance next-generation aerospace technologies and support the development of autonomous systems and new defence solutions. This includes acquiring a new Canadian-built Bombardier Global 6500 defence research aircraft, and creating a new drone innovation hub to bolster Canada's drone defence technologies.

The NRC's new Drone Innovation Hub, in Ottawa, and in the Mirabel area, will advance research, development and commercialization of drone technologies for Canada's defence, security and dual‑use sectors. This new hub will enhance drone and counter-drone development and testing capabilities, and provide a path for industry to qualify new technologies for drones.

Backing Canadian SMEs developing defence and dual-use technologies

Canadian SMEs developing and advancing defence technologies with civilian and military purposes are positioned to make a key contribution to our national security and economic growth. In January 2026, the NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) launched the Defence Industry Assist initiative, providing $241 million in funding and advice to high-potential, innovative Canadian SMEs to advance made-in-Canada defence and dual-use technologies.

By offering advice and funding to high-potential innovative SMEs, DI Assist will help build a strong base of successful companies developing dual-use technologies. It will also inform the Department of National Defence (DND) of emerging scalable technology and manufacturing opportunities, and provide insights into the demand for new product capabilities and features, here and abroad. Through deep connections with innovative businesses across Canada, NRC IRAP works with close to 10,000 SMEs every year.

Accelerating quantum science and biomedical technologies and defence applications

In addition to its ongoing investment in quantum science and technology, the NRC is investing more than $161 million over 5 years to advance Canada's leadership in quantum technology for defence and security applications.

This includes funding for industry, academia and government researchers to advance leading-edge solutions in quantum sensing, quantum internetworking and quantum-safe communications.

The NRC is investing $28 million to improve the ability to respond quickly to biological threats, high-consequence pathogens and pandemics that could affect national health security.

Key initiatives:

• Launch a Biomedical Countermeasures Initiative to bolster sovereign capacity for biologics development and manufacturing of diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics against defence priority biothreats.
• Create the Measurement Science for Quantum Technologies initiative to ensure Canadian quantum technologies inform the development of global standards, supporting quantum defence and ensuring interoperability with defence partners and NATO allies.
• Strengthen the compound semiconductor innovation and commercialization pipeline by augmenting the NRC's Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities to support the production and scale-up of quantum technologies and the domestic supply chain.
• Launch the Benchmarking Quantum Platforms initiative to support Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) in their technical assessments of Canadian companies' quantum technologies.
• Expand the NRC's Quantum Sensors Challenge program to focus on defence sector applications of quantum sensing technologies that can enhance navigation in GPS-denied environments, and aid in surveillance or reconnaissance.
• Launch the Quantum Safe Technologies Initiative to prepare Canada for the transition to post-quantum cryptography algorithms and using classical and quantum computing to analyze cryptographic algorithms and systems.
• Expand the upcoming Quantum Internetworking Challenge program to connect quantum devices and advance distributed quantum computing and sensing.

Through these investments under Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy, the NRC is strengthening Canada's ability to develop and produce the critical technologies that safeguard our sovereignty, preserve our national security and create lasting economic benefits for Canadians.