PrairiesCan investments will strengthen Canada's defence capabilities and reinforce security at home
A strong and resilient defence industry is fundamental to Canada's sovereignty, security, and long-term economic prosperity. Canada's first Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) aligns long-term defence investments with Canadian industrial capabilities to boost domestic manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, and create good, high-quality jobs for Canadians.
Today, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), shared the impact that the DIS will have across the Prairie Provinces. Minister Olszewski also announced the first Alberta projects funded through the Regional Defence Investment Initiative (RDII) to accelerate the integration of small and medium-sized enterprises and regional ecosystems, into defence supply chains.
This repayable investment of over $6.5 million will aid two Alberta-based businesses to expand Canadian production of critical defence equipment, creating high-quality jobs, driving economic growth in the Edmonton area, and supporting Canada's sovereignty.
The two businesses receiving support through the RDII are:
- Logican Technologies will expand advanced manufacturing capabilities for defence related technologies, including sonar and sensors used to detect, locate and track submarines, naval communications, and other defence electronic control systems - while supporting the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces and NATO partners. The investment will also enable Logican Technologies to adopt new automated manufacturing technologies and build product testing capabilities while creating skilled jobs in Alberta. PrairiesCan is investing $1,504,231.
- Zero Point Cryogenics will rapidly innovate and commercialize sub-kelvin cryogenics required for defence prototypes and mission critical systems to meet domestic defence needs in quantum sensing, computing, and communications. This will strengthen Canada's defence industrial base by scaling domestic production capacity and supporting technological sovereignty. PrairiesCan is investing $5 million in this initiative.
Together, these Alberta-based defence projects will create and maintain more than 145 jobs in the Edmonton region, supporting a skilled workforce in advanced manufacturing, research, and defence technologies.
