The Canadian government will invest $21 million in the next two years to set up a defense innovation center designed to accelerate the development, testing and integration of military drones and other uncrewed systems. Defence Minister David McGuinty announced the Uncrewed Systems Defence Innovation Secure Hub (UxS DISH) as part of the government’s Borealis production program.
“Drones are changing the way modern militaries operate, and Canada must be ready to develop, test and adopt these technologies at speed,” McGuinty said in a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) news release on July 14, 2026. “This new Defence Innovation Secure Hub will bring government, Canadian industry, academia, the not-for-profit sector, and the Canadian Armed Forces together in a secure environment to turn promising Made in Canada ideas into mission-ready capabilities that support Canada’s defence priorities.”
The facility, in Mirabel, Quebec, will provide a place where government, industry, academia and other innovators can work together to develop, evaluate and integrate evolving uncrewed and autonomous technologies into operational weapons systems. Espace Aéro, an aerospace innovation zone based in Quebec, will lead the project alongside 30 industry, academic and nonprofit partners under Canadian Joint Forces Command (CJFC) sponsorship. The UxS DISH’s work will focus on uncrewed systems and countering uncrewed systems; automation and human-machine teaming; operations in contested environments; and sensor integration.
“The future of warfare depends on our ability to connect emerging technologies with the world’s rapidly evolving operational realities,” Lt. Gen. Darcy Molstad, the CJFC commander, said in the news release. “By bringing together the right people, systems, and expertise, we will prepare the Canadian Armed Forces to meet the challenges ahead across all domains.”
The Canadian government has committed to beefing up its defense industrial base, ensuring that the CAF has access to the equipment and capabilities it requires. To achieve this, officials created Borealis: the Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science.
Defence Innovation Secure Hubs (DISHs) — like the new UxS DISH — are a core component of Borealis. DISHs are secure, mission-oriented hubs created to support collaboration among government, industry and academic leaders to secure Canada’s defense and national security priorities. They are designed to help innovators overcome barriers to engaging with defense organizations.
“Investing in defence innovation means investing in Canada’s future. The new Defence Innovation Secure Hub is one of the many ways that our government is operationalizing Canada’s new Defence Industrial Strategy,” Canadian Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr said. “These research and innovation hubs will enable us to meet the moment by developing our capabilities in uncrewed and autonomous systems and strengthen Canada’s sovereign defence capabilities.”
Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy Bernard Drainville says the Russia-Ukraine war has shown how drones have fundamentally changed the modern battlefield. “When we look at what’s happening in Ukraine right now, we know very well that drones are reinventing war, military doctrines,” he said, according to The Canadian Press. The fact that Canada and Quebec are working together on drone development is “excellent news for our security, our industrial development, and our ability to take charge of our own security and defence.”