When the federal government released its Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) on February 17, 2026, it sent Canadians a clear signal: not a vague commitment, but a structured plan with targets, timelines, and funding. For those of us working at the intersection of engineering research and national capability, that clarity matters.
Six months into my role as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa, I've been thinking carefully about what this Strategy asks of institutions like ours, and how we are positioned to contribute. The answers are more concrete than they might appear to those outside of academia.
For us, this translates to a direct call to turn research into deployable systems, to build the expertise and partnerships Canada needs, and to train engineers and computer scientists who can work across disciplines to deliver those capabilities here at home.
From where I stand, our Faculty is ready to answer that ask. My experience as a Medtech entrepreneur combined with many years working with industry partners and collaborators has shown me the importance of turning research into solutions for society, and that same mindset already defines our community. The Strategy expects focus, speed and purpose, and that is how we operate, so let me show you what we are currently delivering.
How we’re positioned to advance the Defence Industrial Strategy
Our work is aligned with the Strategy’s priorities, including secure digital systems, uncrewed and autonomous systems, sensing, resilient energy, and advanced materials.
Many members of our faculty are advancing Canada’s position in counter‑uncrewed systems using sensors and predictive algorithms. In practice, that means faster detection, better decisions, and protection for critical infrastructure. Professor Burak Kantarci leads work in spectrum intelligence and communications resilience that strengthens Canada’s ability to detect and respond to drone‑enabled threats. Professor Miodrag Bolić is developing early detection platforms that fuse radar, infrared and radio‑frequency data, improving how we identify uncrewed aerial systems and reducing false alarms that slow response. And Professor Robert Laganière uses computer vision and machine learning to enhance radar analytics, giving operators clear, actionable information rather than raw data alone.
Trusted digital systems are also a priority of the Strategy, and here we excel in software and hardware assurance. Professors Mehrdad Sabetzadeh, Shiva Nejati and Daniel Amyot are shaping development methods that make defence software traceable, testable and compliant from the start. In parallel, Professor Paria Shirani embeds cyber‑resilient practices into hardware and firmware to protect supply‑chain integrity and safeguard mission‑critical components. In an era where a single vulnerability can cascade across systems, assurance must be designed in, not bolted on.
Sensors and survivability are equally central to Canada’s sovereignty. Professors Pierre Berini and Arnaud Weck are advancing infrared and photonic sensing that sharpens threat detection and platform protection. Working alongside them, Professors Bertrand Jodoin and Aleksandra Nastic are developing protective coatings and radar‑absorbing materials that contribute to the resilience of aerospace systems. This is how protection becomes measurable: better sensing to anticipate risks, better materials to withstand them.
Energy resilience completes this picture. Professor Javad Fattahi is developing modular, electromagnetic‑resistant energy units with smart power management. The aim is straightforward: keep critical systems powered in contested environments, extend endurance, and reduce vulnerabilities. Resilient power is more than a convenience in the Strategy; it is essential for every capability the Strategy requires.
Facilities built for sovereign speed
Delivering the Strategy requires infrastructure that lets us test securely, integrate with partners, and move at pace. Our Kanata North campus places researchers inside Canada’s largest technology park so work moves quickly from concept to deployment with industry in a setting built for secure, real‑world collaboration. That proximity shortens iteration cycles and supports the Strategy’s Build Partner Buy approach.
On the main campus, the uOttawa IBM Cyber Range provides realistic, immersive simulation for detecting and responding to cyber threats, letting teams validate trusted digital systems before deployment in direct support of the Strategy’s digital systems priority.
Our experimental flume, a unique configuration combining wave, seismic and sediment controls, enables multi-hazard testing for maritime resilience and underwater autonomy aligned with the Strategy’s focus on sovereign capabilities. For defence, this yields better data on how platforms and infrastructure behave under coupled stresses and faster paths to designs to withstand them.
By enabling secure, rapid iteration with industry and government, these facilities shorten delivery cycles and derisk integration to meet the Strategy’s need for faster, validated, Canadian built capabilities.
Engineering the talent Canada needs most
Technology alone does not secure a nation: people do. The new BOREALIS – Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science as outlined in the Strategy – calls for deep expertise in cyber defence, artificial intelligence (AI), secure systems engineering, semiconductors and advanced materials. We’re addressing this directly by training and filling a pipeline of talent.
We’re recruiting top researchers through initiatives such as Impact+ and equipping our community with the secure tools and environments needed to accelerate defence focused innovation. We’re also focused on preparing students to contribute through hands-on, industry-aligned training, and with early exposure to research in key areas including AI, semiconductors, and cybersecurity. The goal is to equip a pipeline of job-ready graduates who can contribute to organizations that strengthen Canada’s defence and technology ecosystem even before they graduate.
Actioning on a clear direction
Canada’s Defence Industrial’s Strategy is ambitious, and it should be. The security landscape has changed, and contributions from higher education institutions need to reflect that. Ottawa, our nation’s capital, with its unique ecosystem of government, industry and research expertise, is well-positioned to lead. At uOttawa’s Faculty of Engineering, we are already doing the work: translating the research, securing the infrastructure and developing the talent pipeline the Strategy calls for. Our faculty is embedded in the sovereign capability priorities the Strategy identifies, and our students are being prepared to carry that work into industry. I welcome partners who are ready to work with us.
To explore collaboration opportunities with the Faculty of Engineering, visit our Partnerships page.
