BOREALIS DISH Industry Day: Advancing defence innovation through secure collaboration

BOREALIS DISH Industry Day: Advancing defence innovation through secure collaboration

February 2, 2026 - Defence Stories

Estimated read time - 2:20

The Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science (BOREALIS) Joint Program Office recently hosted an Industry Day focused on advancing defence innovation in Canada.

For the Defence Team, this work matters. BOREALIS and the Defence Innovation Secure Hubs (DISH) model are designed to shorten the path between emerging ideas and operational impact, helping the Defence Team access new capabilities faster, collaborate more safely with external partners, and stay ahead in an increasingly contested global environment.

The event marked an important step in shaping the long-term vision for BOREALIS and building on insights from the 2025 DISH Request for Information (RFI). The RFI identified two mission areas that will guide future DISH sites: quantum technologies and uncrewed systems (UxS), both critical to strengthening Canada's defence posture and research leadership.

Bringing stakeholders together

Industry Day brought together participants from industry, academia, non-governmental organizations, and other partners, both in person and virtually. The goal was to deepen collaboration and help shape an upcoming Call for Proposals (CFP) under the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program, creating clearer pathways for Canadian innovators to real Defence needs.

Throughout the day, attendees heard presentations and took part in panel discussions designed to share knowledge, spark ideas, and identify opportunities to support defence innovation in secure, responsible ways.

Focus areas

The event centred on three key themes:

1. Research security: Speakers highlighted that evolving global threats make research security more important than ever, especially when collaboration crosses sectors and disciplines.
2. Quantum technologies: Presenters discussed how quantum technologies could improve secure communications and computing, offering new possibilities for defence modernization.
3. Uncrewed Systems (UxS): The growing relevance of UxS-especially counter-drone capabilities-was emphasized as a critical part of modern operations and emerging defence challenges.

Each presentation was followed by a Q&A session that allowed participants to explore how DISH sites and industry partners can add value to Canada's innovation ecosystem and to Defence priorities.

Collaboration and actionable insights

Experts from the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces, and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) shared their technological needs and discussed how industry can help meet them. Stakeholders also provided input on the state of innovation in their fields, offering perspectives that will help refine the DISH concept and inform the upcoming CFP.

For the Defence Team, this means clearer channels for engaging innovators, safer collaboration models, and a stronger bridge between operational challenges and Canadian solutions.

Building momentum for next steps

The event concluded with closing remarks and a networking session that allowed participants to build connections and discuss partnership opportunities. Attendees praised the opportunity to align priorities and strengthen Canada's defence innovation community.

By creating protected spaces where partners can work together, BOREALIS is helping position Canada at the forefront of defence research and preparing for future challenges.