Toronto, Ontario
A strong and competitive defence industry is essential to Canada's sovereignty, security, and long-term economic prosperity. A key part of this is unlocking opportunities for Canadian innovators to develop and bring new technologies to market. The Government of Canada is committed to helping businesses grow, strengthen their capabilities, and pursue opportunities in the defence sector and related to dual‑use technologies.
Canada's new Defence Industrial Strategy will strengthen security, create prosperity, and reinforce our nation's strategic autonomy. This strategy aims to transform our defence industries by incentivising production in Canada and streamlining procurement. This will enable Canada's aerospace, cyber, and other defence industries to scale up their operations, strengthen their competitiveness at home, and expand their reach, all while creating high-paying careers across our defence supply chains.
As part of this strategy, the Regional Defence Investment Initiative (RDII) is being delivered nationally by Canada's regional development agencies to support the growth and integration of businesses into domestic and international defence supply chains, and increase their industrial and innovation capacity.
Today, the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), announced that a federal investment of up to nearly $7 million has been approved for Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a global venture accelerator that operates 16 sites globally that helps early‑stage tech companies grow through structured mentorship and expert guidance.
With support from FedDev Ontario and the Department of National Defence, CDL will operate the CDL Defence program, a new initiative that will help companies develop and advance technologies that contribute to Canada's national security and the future capability requirements of the Canadian Armed Forces and allies. The CDL Defence program will support and accelerate the growth of ventures developing dual‑use technologies by helping them align to the needs of potential real buyers, navigate government pathways, and position themselves for testing and procurement. This will help build the cutting‑edge capabilities Canada needs under the Defence Industrial Strategy, while strengthening the competitiveness of defence and technology sectors.
Through the Defence Industrial Strategy and the strategic investments being made through the RDII, the Government of Canada is aiming to transform Canada's military and defence supply chain - creating good careers at home, opening new markets for businesses, and equipping the Canadian Armed Forces with the world-class equipment it needs.
