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Alberta’s government is investing $21 million into a new initiative aimed at helping local companies expand into Canada’s growing defence industry while creating jobs and driving long-term economic growth across the province.

The new program, known as the Dual-Use Ecosystem for Future Engineering, National Defence and Sovereignty (DEFENDS), will be led by the University of Alberta and is designed to connect Alberta businesses, post-secondary institutions and the Canadian Armed Forces to speed up the development and certification of defence technologies.

According to the province, many Alberta companies already produce advanced technologies for sectors such as energy, environmental monitoring and construction. Through DEFENDS, those businesses will be able to adapt existing products for defence applications without having to rebuild operations from scratch.

Alberta Minister of Technology and Innovation Nate Glubish said the initiative will help open new opportunities for local manufacturers and innovators.

“Alberta companies already build some of the best technology in the country, they just haven't had a streamlined path into defence markets,” Glubish said in a statement.

The initiative will make use of several advanced research facilities already operating at the University of Alberta, including the Centre for Applied Research in Defence and Dual-Use Technologies, nanoFAB, and one of only two North Atlantic Treaty Organization Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) Test Centres located at a Canadian university.

Three new secure facilities will also be constructed as part of the project. The facilities are expected to support advanced manufacturing testing, microchip and communications development, and radar and wireless technology evaluation.

Alberta Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Joseph Schow said the province is well positioned to become a major player in Canada’s defence industry.

“With access to talent, technology, and land, DEFENDS will help companies become even more competitive options for defence-related investment,” Schow said.

The project will also involve several Alberta post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, alongside rural college networks across the province.

Officials say the program is expected to support more than 8,000 jobs over the next decade, assist more than 200 Alberta companies and generate more than $7 billion in gross domestic product growth.

The province noted that Alberta is already home to key military and research sites including Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, 4 Wing Cold Lake and Defence Research and Development Canada Suffield, positioning Alberta as a strategic hub for future defence innovation and aerospace development.

To view the news conference, visit the following link www.youtube.com/live/cQpT6QTKDZE.

Information for this article was sourced from the Government of Alberta website.