Our new Drone Innovation Hub will support the aerospace and defence network across Canada to advance research, development and commercialization of drone technologies for Canada's defence, security and dual‑use sectors.
With an investment of $105 million over 3 years, this new hub will enhance drone and counter-drone development and testing capabilities. It will also help industry qualify new drone technologies and strengthen Canada's sovereign supply chain for remotely piloted, uncrewed and optionally piloted aircraft systems.
The hub will focus on 3 priority areas:
- Drone and counter‑drone systems
- A drone living lab
- Autonomous flight systems
By integrating our facilities, test ranges and simulation environments, the Drone Innovation Hub will accelerate the development of mission‑ready drone systems that support Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy and the drone industry. Our technical teams will work with Canadian companies to transform drone concepts into deployable technologies.
Drones are used for various civil and defence applications, including racing, photography, precision mapping, surveillance, disaster relief, medical evacuation, payload delivery, global surveying and heavy lifting.
The Drone Innovation Hub is a collaborative national initiative that connects the NRC, the Department of National Defence (DND), Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), including the BOREALIS (Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science) Defence Innovation Secure Hub, and Canadian industry. Together, these partners will form an integrated national network for drone technology development and commercialization.
Why work with us
The Drone Innovation Hub connects government, industry and academic partners to address capability gaps and advance technology readiness in Canada. It offers Canadian businesses of all sizes access to advanced national facilities, equipment and expertise to develop cutting-edge drone, counter-drone and autonomy technologies needed by DND.
The hub also creates clear pathways for new testing opportunities—from simulations to live flight trials—in collaboration with DND and DRDC. These activities will expose small and medium-sized business technologies to real-world conditions, helping advance their development and commercialization, while giving DND valuable insight and input.
Contact us
Business Development team
Aerospace Research Centre
Email: NRC.AERObdt-edaAERO.CNRC@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Media Relations
National Research Council of Canada
Email: NRC.MediaRelations-RelationsMedias.CNRC@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
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