By Scott Simmie
New funding, totalling $79.5M, will help 20 Canadian companies – including InDro Robotics – advance their AI capabilities in order to be more globally competitive.
The money includes $50.3M in direct investment from industry partners and $29.2M in Federal funding from the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy – an initiative within the department of Industry, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). The announcement was made March 31, 2026 at Next Generation Manufacturing Canada‘s (NGen’s) N3 Summit in Toronto, a gathering featuring some of the country’s leaders in robotics, AI, automation, defence, quantum and more.
“This is not another year; 2026 is what the Prime Minister calls a hinge moment.” said Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister Responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario as he announced the funding.
“We are seeing the biggest realignment in history since the Second World War….at the same time there is a technological revolution. We need to seize this opportunity, or as the Prime Minister says: ‘If you’re not at the table you’re on the menu’…The strategy is led by our North Star, our foundational principle, which is AI for all,” he told those in attendance.
The funding will benefit 20 projects which, says the news release accompanying the announcement, “bring together manufacturers, technology firms, and researchers to solve production-level problems – from improving safety, quality control and output – while enhancing the commercialization of Canadian artificial intelligence.”
“These projects are about turning Canadian AI into Canadian productivity — keeping machines running longer, reducing waste, and preventing costly shutdowns,” said Jayson Myers, CEO of NGen. “Manufacturers are under intense pressure to control costs, build resilient supply chains, and compete globally. By putting Canadian AI directly onto factory floors, we’re helping manufacturers do that now, not years from now.”
It’s all part of the push toward Industry 4.0 and – in multiple sectors and use-cases – greater global economic opportunities for cutting-edge Canadian technology companies.
Above: Federal Minister Evan Solomon at the NGen N3 Summit. Below: The InDro Cortex – an AI brain-box that allows for teleoperation, advanced autonomy, and the seamless integration of ROS-2 compatible sensors on ground robots, humanoids, quadrupeds and drones. It’s also a popular platform for advanced R&D work. Second image: Luke Corbeth, InDro’s Head of R&D Sales at the N3 show
THE MONEY
Ottawa is adding $29.2M, and Minister Solomon – a former entrepreneur – made it clear that he and the Federal Government are fully committed to assisting Canadian companies in the AI space.
“It is time to stop the pattern where Canadians plant the seed, we water it, we grow the plant, and someone else harvests it and takes away our headquarters, our IP and our best minds. That is coming to a stop,” he said to spontaneous applause.
“This is the age of the entrepreneur. The moment when the distance between idea and execution has never been shorter,” he said.
THE FOCUS
The twenty projects selected focus on real-world industrial challenges, with the overall goal to boost commercial made-in-Canada AI solutions and boost the sector’s global competitiveness. The projects will support manufacturers across a broad swath of sectors, including defence and security technology, automotive, food production, life sciences, home building and advanced materials.
Specifically, according to the release, those challenges include:
- AI-powered quality inspection and traceability systems
- Smarter and more flexible robotics for manufacturing and construction
- Digital twins to speed up production in life sciences
- AI-enabled equipment that can adapt in real time to changing conditions
- Advanced 3D inspection and automated testing tools
We don’t have the space to highlight all twenty projects, but we do want to give you a sense of the breadth of them. Martinrea Automotive Inc., along with partners Polyalgorithm Machine Learning (Poly ML), will be working on a Machine Health Monitoring System. It’s described as “AI that listens to machines before they fail, cutting downtime, reducing waste, and keeping Canadian automotive supply chains running strong.”
Below: Linda Hasenfratz, Executive Chair of Linamar, who on the N3 main stage early at the show. She’s followed by Jayson Myers, NGen CEO
INDRO’S TAKE
The NGen announcement is yet another important and strategic move to bolster made-in-Canada innovations and prepare them for the global market. It’s also Federal recognition, via the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, of the role AI will play across a multitude of sectors going forward.
“InDro is pleased to be working with Owen and Company Holdings Inc. and LFL Group on this ambitious project,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “We’re also proud to be amongst the twenty projects named and in the company of other innovative Canadian firms pushing the envelope on AI-enabled projects – and want to extend our sincere gratitude to the team at NGen.”
Interested in future NGen funding programs? Keep an eye on their website.