New Defence Industrial Strategy puts emphasis on Canadian tech sector

New Defence Industrial Strategy puts emphasis on Canadian tech sector

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.

A Security Robot With Superpowers for $50k: Meet Prowler

A Security Robot With Superpowers for $50k: Meet Prowler

By Scott Simmie

 

It wasn’t long ago that purchasing a reliable, robust robot for routine inspection and security patrols could easily cost you $200,000. That was obviously a fair chunk of change – and a pretty substantial barrier to entry for many companies.

InDro’s new Prowler changes the game. Capable of either remote teleoperation or fully autonomous, repeatable missions, Prowler’s wheeled quadruped platform can go just about anywhere: Up and down stairs, over obstacles – it can even clamber over low fences. With 360° high-def video and an ultra-wide LiDAR (360° x 90°), Prowler spots everything in (and even behind) its path.

“Prowler has extremely dynamic terrain traversal capabilities and it’s outfitted to be both tele-operated and also run autonomous missions,” explains Luke Corbeth, InDro’s Head of R&D Sales. “It captures photos, video, can conduct two-way audio – and perform many other functions. So it’s suited to a wide variety of verticals.”

Think construction sites or factory floors. Museums or shopping malls. Truly, Prowler is suitable for pretty much any situation where you might want a 24/7 security guard keeping a close watch on things,

Below: The InDro Prowler, a highly modified wheeled quadruped purpose-built for security and monitoring purposes. 

Prowler

POWERED BY CORTEX

 

The platform and sensors are one thing. But what really gives Prowler the edge is our Cortex brain-box. The InDro device contains very powerful compute and AI capabilities, and allows for the seamless integration of additional sensors, including power distribution. Contained within our InDro Backpack, Cortex comes with our InDro Controller interface pre-loaded, 5G and 4G connectivity, as well as WiFi 6.

That means Prowler can be remotely tele-operated from pretty much anywhere. A human in the loop can monitor and control Prowler’s missions, seeing all data (including realtime video and LiDAR data) with imperceptible lag. InDro Autonomy, our powerful software stack that enables everything from pre-programmed to SLAM missions, can be added on as an option. Prowler comes ready for wireless charging, and can snug up at its home base to be ready for the next mission. And if a client wants to add additional sensors, it’s a snap.

“Absolutely. This has incredible functionality out-of-the-box, but we don’t want the road to stop there,” says Corbeth. “So we still provide the development tools that our clients are accustomed to receiving from us. But the amount of functionality that comes with Prowler is really what makes this an intriguing solution.”

 

OPTIONS FOR ANY USE-CASE

 

Prowler comes with ultra-wide hemispherical LiDAR, a top-mounted 360° camera (with seamless stitching), a forward-facing HD camera, and two-way audio for communicating with anyone it encounters. Prefer a Point-Tilt-Zoom camera or thermal option? No problem. Prowler can be configured in multiple ways, depending on your use-case. We can even pop on a powerful spotlight.

And while Prowler is already highly capable, we plan to add additional features in future that leverage its powerful AI and Machine Vision capabilities.

“Think person detection, animal detection, various other features that turn what the robot is seeing into actionable intelligence – and even actions as well,” says Corbeth. “So down the road, Prowler could send text messages to security teams, perhaps notifying local authorities, things of that nature.”

Weighing just 20 kilograms, Prowler can take on additional eight kilos in payload. And when it’s on a flat surface, this robot zips along at 2.5 metres/second (nine kilometres/hour) on missions that can last as long as 2.5 hours before returning to self-charge. Whether it’s monitoring a critical asset, doing routine security and perimeter runs, Prowler is a robust, powerful and affordable solution. You can find full specs on our package and options here.

Below: This video gives you an idea of the kind of terrain Prowler can tackle.

INDRO’S TAKE

 

This robot contains multiple InDro innovations, including our new and powerful Cortex, as well as InDro Controller, which makes tele-operation (and autonomous missions, with the optional InDro Autonomy software) a breeze. A lot of engineering has gone into these products, and they’ve been designed to work together. Deployments of Prowler are now underway, and we’re taking additional orders. 

“Prowler fills a void in the marketplace,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “I’m not aware of any inspection robot with these capabilities at this price point – other than Prowler. Once again, the InDro R&D engineering team has created a groundbreaking solution suited to multiple use-cases, with the option to further customise for client needs. Prowler means business – and in more than one way.”

Want to continue the conversation or arrange for a demo? Contact Luke Corbeth here.

Beyond the Sci-Fi: Philip Reece Discusses Autonomous Defence on CTV News

The term “killer robots” sounds like a Hollywood script, but as InDro Robotics Founder Philip Reece explained on a recent segment of CTV Your Morning, the technology is already a reality on the global stage.

Watch the Interview Below: (Note: Please scrub to the 1:15:00 mark to view Philip’s segment):

Key Highlights from the Interview:

  • Navigating the Battlefield: Philip discussed how modern drones are evolving to carry out missions even after their signal with a pilot is severed, acting more like guided missiles in their final moments.
  • The Shift to “Cobots”: It’s not just about weapons. Philip highlighted the “positives” of autonomy, such as “cobots” that work alongside soldiers to clear rooms or detect mines, keeping humans out of harm’s way.
  • Canadian Innovation: From robot dogs equipped with specialized sensor backpacks to fully autonomous medical evacuation vehicles, Canada is stepping up its defence innovation.

The Tech Behind the Talk While the interview focused on the battlefield, the underlying technology—edge computing and autonomous decision-making—is the core of what we do at InDro.

InDro Cortex, is the hardware realization of these concepts. It provides the massive compute power required for the drone swarms and autonomous navigation Philip described, but in a footprint small enough to fit on the back of a robot dog or inside a compact UGV.

InDro Robotics on high-level Canadian Trade Mission to France

InDro Robotics on high-level Canadian Trade Mission to France

By Scott Simmie

 

A changing geopolitical world has opened the door to new and potentially massive opportunities for Canadian technology companies through partnerships with European Union countries and contractors.

Earlier this year, Canada signed a Security and Defence Partnership with the EU. And that was the catalyst for a recent Trade Mission to France, where InDro was one of a small group of Canadian technology innovators invited to meet with many of the top defence contractors in the EU.

The Defence and Aeronautics Trade Mission was organised by Montreal’s CENTECH, a non-profit that supports hi-tech companies with high growth potential. It did so in partnership with the National Research Council Canada, The Department of National Defence, and the Délégation générale du Québec à Paris (DGQP).

The trip came at a time of unprecedented developments. Canada recently announced a forthcoming Defence Innovation Strategy, which will rely heavily on Canadian companies for dual-purpose technology innovations that can be applied to defence and sovereignty use-cases. On October 2, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the launch of the new Defence Investment Agency. And on December 1, the Prime Minister announced that Canada will participate in a program known as SAFE – Security Action For Europe. Canada is the only country outside of the EU with preferential access to this program.

The SAFE program, which unlocks some $244 billion in loans to EU partners (and now Canada) “opens massive new opportunities for Canadian manufacturers to build and export Canadian-made technologies and capabilities,” according to this news release. It’s being described as a “generational opportunity” for Canada’s defence and technology sectors.

“Our participation in SAFE unlocks unprecedented opportunities for Canadian manufacturers to build what our Allies need and what our Forces can rely on. This partnership accelerates our own rearmament while showcasing the world-class capabilities of Canadian workers, engineers, and innovators,” says The Hon. David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence.

To be clear, it’s not just about weaponry – but a wide range of dual-purpose technologies that can be used to enhance defence and sovereignty capabilities, including robotics, AI, autonomous systems and much more. And that spells unprecedented opportunities for Canadian technology companies, including InDro Robotics.

Above: The Trade Mission on a site visit at ARQUUS. Below: Defence Minister McGuinty at GCXpo, where he announced a $9.2B commitment as part of Canada’s Defence Innovation Strategy

David McGuinty

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

 

With all of these changes on the horizon, the timing was perfect for the Trade Mission to France. InDro Robotics was one of 10 Canadian technology companies on that trip, which included meetings with key EU defence suppliers. These included heavyweights like Thales, Safran, ARQUUS, Exail Technologies and Airbus.

The trip started in Toulouse, with presentations to Airbus before moving to Paris for site visits and meetings with the other companies. The Canadian delegates learned more about the existing and forthcoming technologies these companies are working on, and were able to showcase Canadian innovations that might be a fit.

“We had the opportunity to meet directly with large defence contractors in France to present some of the cutting-edge technologies that we have,” says InDro Founder/CEO Philip Reece.  “We were able to showcase technologies that are commercially available and in late-stage R&D – as well as provide a teaser of some of the more advanced technologies we will be releasing in 2026.”

In addition to the formal presentations, there was a more relaxed gathering hosted by His Excellency the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Canada’s Ambassador to France and Monaco. This provided additional one-on-one opportunities for members of the Trade Mission to meet directly with potential EU partners.

“He was quite gracious in hosting us at his residence. That reception allowed us, in a more informal setting, to cement some of the relationships that we had been building with our French counterparts. This, I believe, could result in quite a few developments,” says Reece.

Below: Reception at the residence of The Honourable Stéphan Dion, Canadian Ambassador to France and Monaco.

Stephane Dion France Trade Mission

INDRO SOLUTIONS

 

We can’t reveal all the details, but we were able to showcase both current and forthcoming InDro innovations – but there was “shock and awe” at some of our solutions. There was widespread interest in our forthcoming InDro Cortex, a tiny brain-box that can be integrated with everything from UGVs to drones to military vehicles, enabling autonomy, remote teleoperation, mission planning, seamless sensor integration and more. There was a lot of interest in Cortex.

“Conversations are underway about how Cortex could potentially be provided in exclusivity to some of the EU defence manufacturers,” says Reece.

But there are other dual-purpose projects slated for release in 2026 – including (with partners) a long-range ISR drone and a UGV with unprecedented capabilities. Details on these are under wraps at the moment, but they caught the attention of several EU contractors.

On this already-exceptional trip, InDro, along with a Canadian modular LiDAR manufacturer BALKO Tech, were invited to present at the Defence Innovation Forum (Forum Innovation Défense, or FID). This is an annual event of the French military which has traditionally focussed on French suppliers.

“This was a tremendous opportunity,” says Reece. “This was the first time foreign companies had been invited to formally present at their symposium. We, along with BALKO Tech, were the only two Canadian companies to be in the very first cohort of international companies to present at the FID.”

Finally, the Trade Mission gave InDro an opportunity to initiate discussions with other Canadian partners on the trip. Those conversations, we believe, will likely lead to future collaborations and partnerships within Canada.

Below: The Canadian delegation on one its site visits

INDRO’S TAKE

 

The global geopolitical scene has been altered dramatically in recent years, with a very uncertain future ahead. What is clear is that advanced technologies will play an even more critical role in defence, sovereignty and stability – and that governments increasingly recognise this fact. Dual-purpose technologies will benefit the defence, industrial and academic/R&D sectors in both the immediate and long-term horizons.

“We are grateful to CENTECH and the Government of Canada for its support of this recent Trade Mission, and are equally grateful that InDro Robotics was selected to take part,” says company Founder/CEO Reece.

“Meaningful conversations are already underway as a result, and we believe the seeds planted in France will ultimately benefit not only the Trade Mission participants, but ultimately elevate much of the technology and R&D sector in Canada. We’d also like express our thanks to The Honourable Stéphane Dion, as well as Kim-An Nguyen and the team at the Office of the Ambassador.”

There will be much more to come on this down the road. We will keep you posted.

InDro on the road: Four major conferences in a month

InDro on the road: Four major conferences in a month

By Scott Simmie

 

We’ve been busy.

Our Head of R&D Sales, Luke Corbeth, has been on the road – hitting up four conferences in three countries in less than a month. During that time, he’s met with potential clients, seen cutting-edge research, and even officially launched the new InDro Cortex.

It’s always a challenge, selecting which conferences to attend. But we try to be strategic, attending those which combine a chance to meet with new and existing clients while learning as much about new trends and research as possible.

For Corbeth, who has just returned from a show in the UK, it’s all about opportunities.

“Some of these conferences are truly the place to meet with people who are at the forefront of R&D and new use-case scenarios,” says Corbeth. “These people are often leveraging either our technology or tech from other manufacturers and integrators. These events are a great way to stay on top of things.”

Below: Luke at the big AUTOMATE 2025 show in Detroit

Luke Corbeth Automate

AUTOMATE 2025

 

This was the first stop on our tour.

In early May, Corbeth headed to the AUTOMATE 2025 show in Detroit – one of the premiere annual automation events. We were guests at the big Ericsson booth, where the company was highlighting its Ericsson 5G Private network, or EP5G. Large companies with smart factories and high degrees of automation are increasingly opting for private 5G networks for their security, high bandwidth and low-latency. Literally thousands of smart or embedded devices can share data in real-time on a private 5G network.

To show off the potential of private 5G, companies like Ericsson (which is the world’s largest provider of cellular network hardware) need to showcase tangible use-cases. And so Corbeth was there with Captis, a cycle-counting and precision scanning autonomous robot built for warehouse environments. InDro Robotics is the incubator of Cypher Robotics and helped do the R&D work on Captis. 

“We make private 5G sexy,” laughs Corbeth. “Captis is a prime example of a technology that effectively leverages private 5G networks.”

 

ICRA

 

Next, it was off to Atlanta for the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, or ICRA. Once again, there was plenty of automation and robotics on display, but the real emphasis at ICRA is on research. Posters and papers are a big part of the event, which draws some of the leading global researchers and thought leaders.

“ICRA is more of a forward-looking conference when compared with Automate,” explains Corbeth. “You’re really getting a peek at technologies, algorithms and use-cases that are coming down the pipeline.”

ICRA attracts a *lot* of researchers from the academic world, and a significant portion of InDro’s clients are from universities. At this event, InDro displayed its new Cortex – an exceedingly powerful module for robot integration and teleoperation – for the first time in public.

“Cortex is a platform- and sensor-agnostic brain box,” he says. “It can be attached to any platform – wheeled, tracked, quadruped, humanoid or drone. Because it’s plug and play, anyone who already has some combination of platforms and sensors can quickly build a robot around it.”

InDro also displayed its ROS2-based drone, developed by InDro for R&D use-cases. You’ll be hearing more about that in the future.

 

IDEaS

 

From Atlanta, it was back to Ottawa for the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) event. Put on by the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Air Force, there was definitely some emphasis on military applications such as Counter-UAS technology. InDro is prioritised on positive use-case scenarios, such as logistics, mapping, Search and Rescue, cargo delivery etc.

“We have really maintained our focus on drones and robots for good,” says Corbeth.

 

UK

 

And last, but not least, Luke jet-setted to the UK for the big Smart Manufacturing Expo in Birmingham. It could be described as the UK’s equivalent of Automate, with the focus on automation and robotics in the manufacturing sector. At the June 4-5 event, Corbeth was representing the Captis cycle-counting solution.

“Really, we were exploring whether potential clients in the UK are experiencing some of the same problems with cycle counting that existing clients in Canada, New Zealand and the UAE have. There was a tremendous amount of interest in Captis.”

Below: Another show, another booth for Luke Corbeth. Second photo shows Luke with senior Ericsson staff Jan Diekmann, Alan Minney and John Tomik. InDro shared the stage with Ericsson in Birmingham to discuss the future of smart factories and private 5G networks

Luke Corbeth
Luke Birmingham Ericsson Jan Diekmann, Alan Minney and John Tomik

INDRO’S TAKE

 

As mentioned, we choose conferences carefully in order to maximise our spend, exposure, and client outreach. Corbeth was able to meet with many existing clients and develop new relationships that could lead to strategic partnerships and/or sales. Perhaps most importantly, he was able to showcase Cortex, our new ROS2 R&D drone, as well as promote the Captis cycle-counting/precision scan solution.

“It’s been a very busy month for Luke and InDro Robotics,” observes InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “We are very excited about both Cortex and our R&D drone and are on a trajectory to manufacture these at scale later this year. We’re pleased to see the level of interest in these products – and have no doubt the investment we’ve made in attending these events will pay off.”

Interested in learning more about either of those products? You can get in touch with Luke (who may still be jet-lagged) right here.

InDro in Atlanta at ICRA – IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

InDro in Atlanta at ICRA – IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

By Scott Simmie

 

We are at ICRA 2025 – billed as “the premiere conference in robotics and automation.”

With about 40,000 attendees, there are some conferences out there that are even larger. But few are more influential when it comes to R&D. Some 3,000 research papers have been submitted for the show, with massive poster displays showing off cutting-edge research and new use-cases.

InDro is represented at this show by our Head of R&D Sales, Luke Corbeth. We spoke with Luke about why this conference is so important in this edition of our Sound Byte micro-podcast.

PAPERS, POSTERS, BREAKTHROUGHS

 

All of that research may not be as immediately appealing as the latest humanoid robot, but some of it might well improve the next generation of humanoids or reveal new use-cases. Research unveiled at shows like these – and particularly at ICRA – often finds a pathway from R&D into real-world applications..

“It’s really about creating that knowledge transfer,” explains Corbeth. “Others can build on top of what was discovered instead of having to do that work over again. And, that ultimately lays the groundwork (not only) for improvement in our field but also collaboration as well between academia, industry and others.”

And while Corbeth will be checking out the poster presentations (and robots!) when he has a moment to slip away from the booth, most of his time will be spent talking with potential clients about recent InDro innovations.

Those on display at the show include InDro Controller – our user-friendly interface for remote teleoperations and autonomous missions. Controller is the result of an immense amount of Front and Back-End development. It allows for the rapid plotting of repeatable autonomous missions with a few clicks of a mouse. Actions, such as zooming in on a point of interest or scanning a particular item for thermal anomalies, can be set up in a flash. And the software immediately detects any new sensors added to a robot (or drone) and allows for a fully customisable dashboard to display and save the data they acquire.

We’re also showing off our new R&D research drone. We developed this product, which runs on ROS2, over the past two years. Because it’s fully Open Source and has powerful onboard compute, it’s the perfect tool for researchers who want to test new applications and code. There are very few drones that have been developed specifically for R&D purposes, so we’re pleased to be offering this (and have already sold units to US researchers).

 

THE BIG REVEAL

 

We’re most excited, however, to be showing our new Cortex module in public for the first time.

“It’s a brain box for virtually any robot or drone,” says Corbeth. “So the idea behind Cortex is it’s extremely lightweight. It has really capable compute in the (NVIDIA) Orin NX in addition to 5G connectivity and power distribution. So we can turn virtually any Uncrewed Ground Vehicle or Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle into a robot capable of teleoperation and autonomy with a little bit of software and some sensor integrations.”

We’re not releasing full specs yet, but we’re incredibly excited about the capabilities offered by Cortex. It allows not only for remote teleoperation, but for the near-instant integration of additional sensors on UGVs and UAVs without all the coding. We can also bundle Cortex with additional software stacks like InDro Autonomy. And, of course, it plays nice with InDro Controller.

If you follow InDro, you’ll be aware we previously developed the popular InDro Commander, which carries out similar functions. Cortex is the logical descendant of that R&D, putting even greater power into the smallest package possible.

Though commercial release is scheduled for later this year, we’ve already had inquiries and pre-orders. Here’s a peek at Cortex on display at ICRA 2025:

InDro Cortex ICRA 2025

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We choose our conferences carefully. ICRA is truly at the centre of cutting-edge R&D and is a must-attend for us. Not only is it a great opportunity to expand our client base, but also a chance to see the latest and best research in the sector.

The show has come a long way since we were last here,” says Corbeth. “There has been an incredible amount of innovation in such a short period from the companies that exhibit and the researchers that are presenting. Notably, a lot of advancement in humanoids, grippers and solutions like Cortex that make it easier to develop, create and deploy robotics systems.”

Interested in more information about Cortex? You can hit us up here.