Feds invest $6M into defence in Edmonton region
Wyvern, the University of Alberta, and the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (Cando) will share $6 million from the federal government's Defence Industrial Strategy. Nearly half will go to Wyvern for its new hyperspectral ship identification product. Canada needs sovereign access to maritime monitoring intelligence, said Wyvern CEO Christopher Robson. "Canada has the longest coastline in the world, vast forests, and Arctic sovereignty obligations," Robson wrote. "Space-based observation is how we keep track of it all."
The U of A will receive $3 million to establish the Dual-use Ecosystem for Future Engineering, National Defence and Sovereignty (DEFENDS), a commercialization and integration centre for businesses in the Prairies to design and test defence and dual-use products. "The Edmonton region already has the research, the expertise — and, in many cases, the existing products," said Aminah Robinson Fayek, vice-president of research at the U of A. "This first investment in DEFENDS will enable us to start building the infrastructure and pathways to support companies as they expand into defence, space and aerospace applications." The remainder of the funding, about $150,000, will go to Cando, which is based at Enoch Cree Nation, to develop and deliver the Indigenous Supply Chain Program pilot. The project aims to empower Indigenous communities, businesses, and organizations to participate in the national defence ecosystem.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on March 26 that Canada has achieved NATO's target of 2% defence spending ahead of schedule, and the investments continue. PrairiesCan is hosting a webinar on what Canada's defence industrial strategy means for Prairie businesses on April 2. And Alberta Aviation, Aerospace & Defence has launched a pitch competition, with expressions of interest due by April 6. Meanwhile, representatives from the Edmonton Region Defence Alliance were in Calgary from March 24 to 26 for DEFSEC West to showcase Edmonton's potential in the defence and dual-use ecosystem. Edmonton city council passed a motion on March 18 formally directing city manager Eddie Robar to coordinate the city's efforts to support the alliance.
