InDro Controller, Cortex and VR Humanoid push the envelope

InDro Controller, Cortex and VR Humanoid push the envelope

Mar 26, 2026 | Humanoids, InDro Solutions, Scott Simmie, VR Humanoid

By Scott Simmie

 

We’ve all seen the videos on LinkedIn or elsewhere by now: A humanoid robot, doing incredible gymnastic feats. Or perhaps it’s toiling away in a factory, moving boxes from one location to another – maybe even tightening a bolt. They’re not AI videos – they (or at least most of them) are indeed real.

They leave an indelible impression – that a humanoid can simply be dropped into a complex environment and immediately get to work on its own. That day will undoubtedly come, but it’s at least several years down the road. And so while those videos are real, they’re not actually realistic. The actions these robots are carrying out represent countless hours of coding and simulation work for each and every specific task. Humanoids are definitely not “Plug And Play” – and won’t be for quite some time.

For InDro, that gap between existing capabilities and the demand for humanoids that can do more represented both a challenge, and an opportunity. What if, we thought, we could create a system where a human being could remotely control a humanoid with a highly intuitive interface? What’s more, what if we could use that system to easily train a humanoid to carry out those same tasks in the future completely on its own?

That’s precisely what we did. Using a combination of our InDro Cortex brain-box, our InDro Controller software interface, and a Virtual Reality headset and hand controllers (plus a lot of our own coding), we’ve developed a system that allows a humanoid to be fully operated by a human being who can see what the robot sees in 3D. This not only allows these modified humanoids to be put to use in an environment where you wouldn’t want to send people – but can be used to train the humanoid to carry out repeatable tasks autonomously in future.

We recently demonstrated these capabilities at the big Mobile World Congress in Spain. Ericsson invited us to display as a way to highlight the power that its private 5G networks enable. Below, Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth explains the basics.

INDRO’S VR HUMANOID

 

Trying to control a stock humanoid with a factory remote is usually a challenging and non-intuitive task. It can be cumbersome, frustrating work.

Now picture instead donning a 4K Virtual Reality headset and holding hand controllers. You can see what the robot is seeing. The arms follow where your arms move. The hands clasp when you want them to; the wrist articulates. And if you want even finer control over the hands, there’s another option we’ve programmed.

“We support hand tracking as well, so you could ditch the controllers and have the headset track your hand movements and finger positions themselves,” explains InDro’s Front End Developer, RJ Bundy. In other words, the headset’s camera translates your precise hand and finger movements directly into action on the humanoid. What’s more, you can monitor multiple data streams through the headset using Augmented Reality.

Already, we have clients putting these humanoids into hazardous environments.

“We’re seeing strong interest from places like nuclear sites, where you don’t necessarily want to send in a person. It’s a powerful tool for remote telepresence, allowing experts to step into wherever they need to be without actually having to physically be there.”

What’s more, the actions carried out by the human can be used to train the robot to carry out such tasks autonomously down the road.

“Every teleoperative movement can be recorded as motion data,” says Bundy. “We then use that data to train the robot so it learns context, balance – the nuances of real human motion. And then, over time, those recordings help accelerate our autonomy. It allows the robot to repeat tasks more independently without a human having to control it every time.”

The VR humanoid is an impressive step on the road to full autonomy. And it’s made possible by two other InDro innovations.

 

INDRO CORTEX, INDRO CONTROLLER

 

InDro is known for our custom robotic builds for industry, research, defence and more. Nearly every single robot (or drone) that leaves our manufacturing facility is outfitted with both InDro Cortex and InDro Controller. (The rare occasions when they’re not are when researchers want to test or build their own solutions.)

InDro Cortex is a very small, very powerful AI compute unit we integrate with the robot and its various sensors. It comes pre-loaded with InDro Controller software, which is our interface with the robot, allowing you to carry out everything from manually controlled missions through to fully autonomous missions, including Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping (SLAM) in unfamiliar environments. We have four tiers of Controller available, depending on use-cases. InDro Controller also enables ultra low-latency operations over 5G, meaning you can operate a robot or drone remotely anywhere there’s a cellular signal (or local WiFi network).

With powerful AI and Machine Vision capabilities, Cortex is the brain behind our devices, including the VR humanoid. With Controller onboard, you simply log in via an encrypted browser. Data from every sensor onboard is at your fingertips in the intuitive console. Want to program a robot for a regular surveillance or asset monitoring mission? It’s simple, including having the robot stop at particular points of interest to inspect gauges, measure temperatures, etc. Need to add an additional sensor? Cortex provides power distribution, sensor fusion, and can instantly detect and integrate any ROS 2-enabled sensor, saving countless hours of integration hassle for clients.

It’s the incredible power – and synergy – of Cortex and Controller that enable all of our powerful robots. And those two provided the foundation which enabled (with a lot of dedicated engineering) our new VR humanoid. It can be put to use immediately with intuitive manual control, learning the tasks it can one day carry out autonomously.

Below: InDro Cortex and InDro Controller also power our new surveillance and inspection quadruped, Prowler. It’s available as shown for $50k CAD and autonomously returns after missions to wirelessly recharge

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We received incredible feedback at the Mobile World Congress in Spain for our VR humanoid. Attendees instantly understood the ease of operation – and the gap this product fills as we advance toward completely independent, fully autonomous humanoids that will one day be working alongside humans in multiple settings.

“I’m extremely pleased with our Area X.O engineering team and the work it has accomplished in making this VR humanoid a reality,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “We have already shipped to a client for hazardous environment operations, with other VR humanoids being integrated as we speak. It’s a great example not only of the power of Cortex and Controller – but also our ability to build upon these innovations in new and highly useful ways.”

How the National Research Council of Canada advances drone capabilities

How the National Research Council of Canada advances drone capabilities

Mar 20, 2026 | BVLOS, InDro News, National Research Council, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

Canada’s drone industry, along with drone technology in general, have advanced immensely over the past decade, and at an even greater pace over the past few years.

But there are still some tricky areas, particularly as industry tries to take advantage of Transport Canada’s new regulations that permit routine, low-risk Beyond Visual Line of Sight flights. For example, what is an effective Detect and Avoid (DAA) system? How can AI be best put to use for identifying aspects of critical infrastructure that require maintenance? And how can long-range BVLOS flights best serve the needs of remote First Nations communities?

These are all questions worth asking. And, thankfully, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has been collaborating with academia, industry partners and First Nations communities in a coordinated effort to find solutions.

Above: An NRC image showing a drone on a BVLOS flight in BC as part of a research project. Below: A custom modified drone InDro piloted for NRC research on urban wind tunnels in Montreal. That wishbone device carries two separate, high-precision anemometers mounted at different angles to detect turbulence, eddies, wind shear etc. 

NRC Wind Tunnel Montreal Eric

MORE THAN DRONE SITE SELECTION

 

Pretty much everyone in the drone industry is familiar with the NRC’s Drone Site Selection Tool, or DSST. Available as a mobile app or via browser, the DSST allows operators to check airspace and determine permissible operations for all levels of drone operation (ie sub-250g, Basic, Advanced, and Level One Complex low-risk BVLOS). It shows restricted, controlled and safe flying areas for all categories at a glance, and even includes a measurement tool so you can be certain your operations meet Transport Canada requirements. (You can access the browser version of the DSST here.)

While the DSST is an indispensable tool for operators, the NRC is also involved with highly complex research. Back in 2019, it launched its Integrated Air Mobility Program – which collaborates with outside partners to develop new technologies that could benefit the industry while enhancing safe operations.

“The NRC works with industry, academia, and the public sector to develop critical and key technologies to strengthen Canada’s supply chain, develop new technology solutions, support the development of UAS regulations, and enrich our talent pool of highly skilled aerospace researchers.”

One example of that research was referenced in the photo above, where the NRC’s Integrated Air Mobility Program examined how urban wind tunnels can potentially impact RPAS operations. InDro captured real-world data from the air, which was compared with data produced by wind-tunnel testing of a scale model of downtown Montreal. We wrote about that research here (and if you want a really deep technical dive you can find the research paper here).

 

MUCH, MUCH MORE

 

Montreal is but one example. The NRC has been involved with multiple projects and has or is developing technologies including:

  • optical sensor Detect-and-Avoid systems
  • drone docking technologies for drone work that involves physical contact with an object during an aerial task (such as non-destructive testing)
  • the manufacturing of high-density, safe ceramic lithium batteries – ideal for low-emission hybrid-electric propulsion

 

Several of the NRC’s more recent projects (with academic and industry partners) involved developing and testing AI and Machine Vision software for detailed mapping and structural inspection, as well as a system that allows a drone to plan, execute and land its mission completely autonomously – perfect for routine deliveries.

“Researchers and engineers from Toronto Metropolitan University, led by Professor Farrokh Janabi‑Sharifi, teamed up with InDro Robotics and the Cowichan Tribes to create intelligent flight‑planning systems that allow drones to pick up and deliver packages safely,” writes the NRC.

“This project marks a significant milestone in advancing drone technologies. The collective expertise, dedication and innovation of all partners were instrumental in achieving the project objectives,” says Prof. Janabi-Sharifi.

Below: The team during a testing day in Cowichan, BC. InDro’s Training and Regulatory Specialist Kate Klassen appears second from left. NRC image

INDRO NRC

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We’re proud to work with NRC and its Integrated Aerial Mobility program, along with other partners. And we’re pleased the NRC feels this latest project was so successful:

“The results were promising,” says the NRC. “The systems proved they could help drones fly safely in remote environments, avoid obstacles, and land accurately. These advances in Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) technology could transform how Canada delivers goods and inspects infrastructure in hard‑to‑reach places.”

Part of that goal – specifically, safe and autonomous BVLOS deliveries – will help enable a long-term project involving InDro and multiple partners to deliver medical supplies to remote First Nations communities in northern British Columbia. Such NRC projects help lay the groundwork that ultimately benefits the industry as a whole.

“Projects like this show what’s possible when industry, academia, First Nation and research partners collaborate,” says Philip Reece, Founder and CEO of InDro Robotics. “By testing advanced technologies in real environments, we’re helping ensure these innovations serve Canadians in meaningful ways.”

 

InDro Controller, Cortex and VR Humanoid push the envelope

InDro’s VR humanoid draws crowds at MWC26

Mar 5, 2026 | InDro News, Industry 4.0, Industry News, Innovation, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

InDro is proud to be displaying, alongside Ericsson, at the huge Mobile World Congress (MWC26) in Barcelona. It’s a massive show, highlighting connectivity and the near-endless variety of solutions that rely on it: Everything from industrial robots and other Industry 4.0 innovations through to AI-powered smart glasses and the myriad of other devices that can help enhance life at home.

We’re alongside Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions – which is demonstrating the power of its Ericsson Private 5G network, or EP5G. It’s the solution for the growing number of companies and sectors that need their own secure, high-bandwidth and ultra low-latency networks to enhance data processing, speed and efficiency. Problem is, you can’t actually *see* what a private 5G network looks like. InDro is on the scene to provide, in a tangible way, a look at what such networks enable.

In this case, we have a humanoid that can be remotely operated over 5G or WiFi using a high-resolution headset and hand controllers. It’s being operated at the show by InDro Forge Hardware Engineering Manager Joel Koscielski. It’s a perfect solution for situations where you might not want to put a person at risk.

“Connected through EP5G, the system essentially allows a highly trained technician to physically embody the robot and perform a series of actions. It’s really been a crowd pleaser so far, and we think it’s a critical stepping stone,” says InDro Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth, who’s also on the scene.

Ericsson also invited Canadian company Cypher Robotics. InDro has incubated Cypher and assisted with the development of its breakthrough Captis system for autonomous cycle counting and inventory management. Rather than explain it all here, check out Luke’s post from the floor of WMC26:

WAIT A MINUTE

 

While our VR tele-operated humanoid is certainly very cool, you might ask yourself: ‘Hang on. That looks cumbersome. Why not just send in a fully autonomous robot to do those difficult jobs?”

Good question. But there’s a gap between perception and reality when it comes to humanoids and their capabilities. Before a robot of any kind can be deployed for a truly autonomous task, it needs to be programmed and trained. This involves machine vision, machine learning, simulation – and much more. But the actions Joel is taking in the video above could actually be used to train that humanoid for a specific task. Here’s Luke once again:

“Imagine you have your most highly trained technician performing a task. The system can collect visual and motion and haptic data, which we can then put into a reinforcement learning algorithm via simulation and then deploy that skill or policy,” he says. In other words, what Joel is doing could be used to teach that robot to one day carry out those functions entirely on its own. 

“Everyone sees humanoids through sci-fi and other mediums and expects them to be autonomous. And while that is the end goal here, we’re showing what we think is a critical, critical piece in that whole puzzle.”

The InDro demo has been drawing huge crowds throughout the show – and those in attendance fully understand the significance of what we’re showing, along with how EP5G is a critical enabler in settings where security and speed count.

Below: The Ericsson/InDro/Cypher Robotics display grabs attention at WMC26, followed by the Cypher Robotics Captis system.

 
 
 
WMC26 humanoid
WMC26 Captis

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We love big shows, and take pleasure not only in showcasing our own innovations, but seeing all the amazing things that others from around the world are working on. WMC26 is a huge show, and we’re still processing everything we’ve seen – and will likely be exploring other innovative technologies which caught our attention that might push InDro’s offerings even further along that cutting edge. 

“We’re pleased with the feedback we’ve received on our VR humanoid project,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “We’re grateful to Ericsson for once again choosing InDro – as well as Cypher Robotics – to help potential clients visualise the incredible power of private 5G networks and the kinds of solutions they enable.”

Luke is planning a full video of his trip – including many of the cool things he saw at the show, as well as a glimpse of Barcelona. Keep an eye out for that on LinkedIn!

InDro Robotics named in new CENGN Cohort

InDro Robotics named in new CENGN Cohort

Mar 5, 2026 | CENGN, InDro News, Industry News, Innovation, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

Some very exciting news for nine Canadian technology SMEs was announced last week – and InDro Robotics is one of them. CENGN, Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks, revealed the first cohort of its Living Lab Initiative. All nine of these cohorts will share in funding totalling $6.5M, which includes $2.6M from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s (ISED) Strategic Response Fund (SRF). They will also have access to “Living Labs” – real-world cross-sector environments for testing and hardening innovations on the road to commercialisation.

InDro’s project – which we’ll get to shortly – will take place at Area X.O, which is powering the Smart Mobility and Smart Agriculture Living Lab, one of several Living Labs that play a critical role in this initiative. In fact, immense credit is due to Susanne Cork, Business Development Director, Smart Farm and Advanced Robotics with Area X.O and Invest Ottawa. Prior to CENGN even making a call for proposals, Susanne had the idea of bringing InDro together with an AI-focused partner on the agricultural side of things – envisioning that such as project could both be synergic and help highlight some of the many opportunities Area X.O offers as a high-tech development centre and real-world proving ground.

This is the first cohort in an ambitious, long-term project. CENGN plans to eventually assist 100 Canadian tech startups and scaleups via this initiative, which includes Living Labs in the areas of Smart Agriculture, Smart Mobility, Connected Robotics and 5G (with more to come with future cohorts).

The initiative has multiple goals, including:

  • Acceleration of Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) for innovations made by Canadian companies
  • Boosting GDP growth via new technologies, IP, sales and jobs for skilled workers
  • Sales growth and follow-on investments for domestic technology firms

“By offering access to advanced infrastructure, expert support, and real-world testing environments, the CENGN Living Lab Initiative drives technology adoption across key economic sectors. It plays a critical role in boosting Canadian industry competitiveness, fostering new Intellectual Property, and fueling the growth of the country’s most promising technology ventures,” states its news release announcing the cohort.

Above: Head of R&D Sales, Luke Corbeth, demonstrates an InDro-enhanced humanoid at GCXpo in September of 2025. Below: Detail of humanoid, which features the InDro Backpack, enabling remote teleoperation, autonomous missions, and the quick integration of additional sensors. The Backpack contains the InDro Cortex brainbox

Humanoid

INDRO’S PLANS

 

InDro Robotics specialises in innovative solutions that include custom UGVs, UAVs, autonomy software stacks – and much more. Over the past few years, we’ve also been working hard in the quadruped and humanoid space. We’ve gained a solid reputation by vastly enhancing the capabilities of existing platforms, often by integrating our proprietary InDro Cortex brainbox and our InDro Controller interface for mission planning, monitoring and data acquisition.

When CENGN issued its call for proposals, we suggested the Living Labs Initiative would be the perfect opportunity – and Area X.O the perfect locations – to test and further develop a humanoid for a specific agricultural task (we can’t reveal too many details yet). CENGN and Area X.O shared our vision of its possibilities.

“Partnering with CENGN enables InDro Robotics to validate our dexterous humanoid solution in a real-world agricultural environment, advancing our systems with a clear path toward commercial deployment,” says Philip Reece, Founder and CEO of InDro Robotics.

“Access to CENGN’s Living Labs, including high-performance 5G connectivity, allows us to test our teleoperation, autonomy, and data streaming under realistic conditions alongside our end user, significantly reducing technical risk and accelerating time to market.”

 

THE COHORT

 

Eight other Canadian technology companies are in this first cohort, and we’re proud to be in their company. They represent a broad cross-section of the tech sector, and we’d like to highlight and congratulate each and every one of them:

EcoSystem informatics Inc. specialises in AI-driven air quality monitoring for cities and municipalities, industrial clients, NGOs and more. “Carrying out a CENGN project will enable our organization to validate and scale real-time environmental intelligence within connected mobility infrastructure, including electric vehicles,” says company CEO/CTO Shirook Ali.

Strategic weed management firm GECO uses satellite imagery and AI to generate multi-seasonal weed maps. That data can then be used for precision agriculture – whether it’s for the pinpoint application of herbicide or strategic seeding. “Our CENGN project will enable Geco to significantly advance our weed detection capabilities by working with a network of researchers and commercial farms across Canada and internationally,” says Founder and CEO Greg Stewart (PhD).

GEOMATE helps advance Smart Mobility by utilising AI to transform geospatial imagery of cities into high-resolution maps and simulation environments for urban planners and the autonomous mobility sector. “Carrying out the CENGN project will accelerate industry adoption of GeoMate’s flagship product, RealSimE. The platform empowers cities for CAV readiness and enables scalable AD/ADAS testing and validation across new geographies,” says company Co-Founder and CEO Amin Gharebaghi.

Ever wonder how many people actually look at billboards, ads on benches, or any other branded media intended for consumers? Mobilytics uses sensors and proprietary software to capture accurate data, indoors or outdoors, on everything from digital screens to buses to shopping carts. “As our team moves into a global rollout phase, this project will verify our infrastructure can support hundreds of thousands of sensor deployments worldwide,” says Casey Binkley, Founder & CEO.

Below: The eight other cohort members, via the CENGN news release

 

Eco System Informatics

Geomate

Mobilytics

RealLife Robotics

Solana Networks

TreeTrack Intelligence

WeTraQ

Geco

WAIT, THERE’S MORE

 

Real Life Robotics is a robotics and automation company focussing on how companies – even cities – manage their robots and connected devices. Its flagship software product, PASSENGER, is a “hardware-agnostic orchestration platform that unifies fleets of robots, IoT systems, and automation technologies” into a single and simple dashboard. “Carrying out a CENGN project will allow our organization to accelerate the integration and testing of our PASSENGER platform within a world-class robotics environment,” says CEO Cameron Waite.

Solana Networks specialises in data network analysis. Specifically, it can provide deep insights into and analytics about high-volume network traffic with multiple proprietary software solutions. “Working with CENGN accelerates Solana Networks’ ability to validate the scalability and performance of TrafficWiz in carrier-grade 5G and wireline networks. TrafficWiz provides encrypted traffic visibility and supports AI-driven threat and anomaly detection at scale, giving stakeholders actionable insight into modern network traffic and infrastructure without requiring decryption,” says Nisan Rowhani, VP of Product Management.

Using AI-guided UAVs and proprietary “Seedpods,” TreeTrack Intelligence has bold plans to plant 100 million trees by 2028. Its solution is up to 10 times more successful than traditional tree-planting techniques, with a fraction of the carbon footprint. “Carrying out a CENGN project will enable TreeTrack to validate and scale an AI-powered UAV monitoring platform that automates seedling survival verification across entire reforestation sites,” says company CEO Amir Soliemani.

WeTraq offers multiple hardware and software solutions – including wearable devices – to monitor worker safety, seniors or those requiring care, and much more (it can even detect and alert users to an open parking space). “Carrying out a CENGN project will enable WeTraq to accelerate deployment of its patient mobility monitoring solution with hospitals, improving patient safety and supporting independence while giving care teams objective, real-time mobility insights,” says Founder/CEO Ishaan Singla.

Quotes above are credited to the CENGN news release.

 

AREA X.O

 

As core tenant of Area X.O since it began, InDro couldn’t be in a better location for this project.

Spanning more than 1,800 acres, the site integrates diverse, real-world environments to support advanced testing and validation. Within the Innovation Farm, dedicated agricultural infrastructure includes small-plot research areas and mid-sized production fields designed to support both biological and technology-driven innovations, including autonomous systems and AI-enabled solutions.

Complementing this, the Smart Mobility Living Lab features four purpose-built test zones that replicate live urban and suburban roadway conditions, complete with traffic signals, railway crossings, and a wide array of sensors, cameras, and IoT devices. All of this is enabled by Area X.O’s advanced communications backbone, providing a secure, connected environment for rigorous development, demonstration, and evaluation of next-generation technologies.

Below: Our recent Sound Byte micro-podcast on Area X.O, followed by an image of InDro Founder/CEO Philip Reece from the CENGN news release

InDro CENGN

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We are obviously thrilled to be in this first cohort, and look forward to the opportunity it affords us to develop a humanoid for agricultural use-cases. We’re also appreciative of the work done by the senior Area X.O team with CENGN and others for this to become a reality.

“We’d like to congratulate all the other cohort members, and thank CENGN and its Living Lab Initiative for recognising the significance of all of these projects,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “CENGN is incentivising the innovations of tomorrow right now – along with assistance from the Federal Government’s Strategic Response Fund. And there’s no better site for our work than the Living Lab provided by Area X.O.”

And yes, we’ll keep you posted on that humanoid when the time is right.

New Defence Industrial Strategy puts emphasis on Canadian tech sector

New Defence Industrial Strategy puts emphasis on Canadian tech sector

Feb 17, 2026 | Defence Industrial Strategy, InDro Cortex, Industry News

By Scott Simmie

 

Canada has released its long-awaited Defence Industrial Strategy. It’s a blueprint for defence and sovereignty in a rapidly-changing world – and has profound implications for Canada’s technology sector.

In a nutshell, the DIS will focus on “rebuilding, rearming, and reinvesting in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF),” says a news release from the Prime Minister’s Office. It includes a huge emphasis on developing new dual-purpose technologies, along with massive capital investment over the next decade.

“In total, the Defence Industrial Strategy is an investment of over half a trillion dollars in Canadian security, economic prosperity, and our sovereignty,” says the release.

Historically, Canada’s procurement process has been somewhat slow and burdened with red tape. It has also relied heavily on US suppliers. The Strategy will focus on developing made-in-Canada solutions, streamlining procurement, expanding partnerships with other allies, and be overseen by the Defence Investment Agency (DIA).

“The Defence Industrial Strategy strengthens Canada’s capacity to deliver critical capabilities to the Canadian Armed Forces with greater speed, certainty, and strategic coherence. It supports the Defence Investment Agency’s mandate by enabling more agile procurement and more secure, resilient supply chains,” said Doug Guzman, CEO of the DIA.

Above: Prime Minister Mark Carney announces Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy in Montreal on February 17, 2026. The DIS will emphasise the development of Canadian technology in areas like robotics, AI, cybersecurity and more. Below: The InDro Cortex, a dual-purpose, AI-enhanced brain for UGVs and UAVs.

Cortex Lite

CANADIAN SOLUTIONS

 

Over the next decade, the DIS will commit $180B in defence procurement and $290B in defence-related capital investment. Canada has traditionally spent some 75 per cent of its procurement budget with US-based suppliers, but the new DIS will see a far greater emphasis on domestic solutions and innovations, as well as partnership with other allies.

“By building, innovating, and manufacturing in Canada, we are ensuring our industries benefit directly from defence investments while supporting the modernisation of the Canadian Armed Forces. Our government is meeting the moment for Canadians by driving growth, creating jobs across the country, and ensuring Canadians benefit from a stronger, more resilient defence economy,” said The Hon. Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.

The DIS has five pillars. They are:

  • Position Canada as a defence production leader
  • Reduce barriers between government and industry
  • Scale Canada’s defence/dual-use innovation – and export it to allies
  • Protect Canadian jobs, supply chains, and industries
  • Spearhead a coordinated national effort to strengthen Canada’s defence sector

You can find the news release and read in greater detail here.

 

INDUSTRY REACTION

 

Canada’s technology sector has been waiting for this announcement, since it was first flagged by Defence Minister David McGuinty at last September’s GCXpo event. While there are many Canadian firms solely dedicated to defence, there are many others (like InDro Robotics), which develop dual-purpose innovations – meaning they have applications both for civilian, industrial and defence applications. For those companies, the reduction of red tape and an increased flow of funding means significant opportunities.

Canada’s Dominion Dynamics, which is building a “a dual-use, persistent, Arctic sensing network designed to serve both military and civilian purposes,” issued a news release welcoming the announcement.

“In areas such as digital systems, autonomous platforms, sensors, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and secure sustainment, Canada has real strengths,” it states. “Choosing to build here first will strengthen strategic autonomy, create high-value jobs, and ensure that we retain control of critical IP and long-term capability. The Partner component is equally pragmatic. Canada cannot and should not attempt to do everything alone. Structured partnerships with trusted allies—where technology and intellectual property are genuinely co-developed—will make us stronger and more resilient.”

Below: Global News coverage of the DIS announcement

INDRO’S TAKE

 

InDro is no stranger to developing dual-purpose technologies that can be put to use for both commercial and defensive purposes. One of many ongoing projects is a partnership with Montreal-based CHAAC Technologies for the AI detection and elimination of a particularly pernicious air-dropped land mine. Our InDro Cortex is a next-gen brain box capable of transforming any ground or aerial platform – even military vehicles – into remotely tele-operated or autonomous devices, complete with AI and advanced Machine Vision capabilities.

“The new Defence Industrial Strategy is a bold and important step forward for Canada in an ever-shifting geopolitical world,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “And while this is welcome news for the technology sector in Canada, it is also – and more importantly – a strategic and smart move for Canada’s future defence and sovereignty capabilities.”

We anticipate there will be much more to tell you as the strategy is implemented. Stay tuned.