Bill Blair, minister of Canada’s Department of National Defence, has announced an initial investment of about $19 million to open the North American regional office for the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic in Halifax.
The upcoming facility will open in 2024.
Blair made the announcement during his keynote address at the 15th annual Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia on Friday.
The DIANA accelerator program brings together researchers and entrepreneurs to deliver innovative technologies designed to enhance the security of NATO populations.
The international initiative also has a regional office in the United Kingdom and will open another hub in Estonia.
In June, DIANA launched its first challenges focused on three areas: energy resilience, secure information sharing, and sensing and surveillance.
Globally, Canadian companies make the second-highest number of submissions.
During his speech, Blair also discussed Canada’s contributions to addressing tensions in Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.
“From Ukraine to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific, our world is facing serious security challenges – and in response, we must uphold the international rules that keep us all safe,” Blair said.