Seen & Heard: Dual Use Technology and Defence Procurement in Ottawa

On June 11, the Council of Canadian Innovators, in partnership with Brion Raffoul LLP, hosted an Innovator Exchange in Ottawa exploring the growing role of dual-use technologies in Canada's innovation and defence ecosystems.

The discussion brought together founders, policy leaders, legal experts, and government stakeholders to examine how Canada can better support domestic innovators developing technologies with both commercial and defence applications.

From artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to autonomous systems and drones, participants discussed the opportunities and challenges facing Canadian companies seeking to commercialize and deploy strategic technologies at home. The panel discussion, moderated by CCI Chief Strategy Officer Dana O'Born, featured Natalie Raffoul, Managing Partner at Brion Raffoul LLP, and Josh Ogden, Chief Executive Officer of AVSS.

Here is what we heard from leaders in the room:

CCI Chief Strategy Officer Dana O'Born opened the discussion by highlighting the increasingly important connection between economic security, innovation policy, and national defence.

"Canada's ability to compete and defend its interests increasingly depends on whether we can scale and deploy our own technologies. The challenge is not a lack of innovation. It's creating pathways that allow Canadian companies to become suppliers of strategic capability."

Natalie Raffoul emphasized that intellectual property remains one of the most important assets Canadian innovators possess, particularly in sectors where technological advantages can have significant commercial and national security implications.

"When Canadian companies participate in procurement programs, partnerships, or publicly funded initiatives, they need to understand exactly how their intellectual property is being treated. Retaining ownership of key assets is often what determines whether long-term economic value stays in Canada."

Josh Ogden shared AVSS's experience building and scaling advanced drone safety technology from Canada, highlighting the challenges many innovators face when navigating government procurement systems.

"Canadian companies are developing world-class technologies, but too often the path to procurement is difficult to understand and even harder to navigate. Speed matters, especially in sectors where technology evolves rapidly.”

The discussion highlighted a common challenge facing Canada's dual-use technology sector, innovative Canadian companies are developing globally competitive capabilities, yet many still struggle to navigate procurement systems, protect and commercialize intellectual property, and secure customers at home. Participants explored how government can play a stronger role in helping domestic innovators move from development to deployment while strengthening Canada's economic and national security.

This Innovator Exchange was made possible through the support of Brion Raffoul LLP. Special thanks to Dana O'Born, Natalie Raffoul, Josh Ogden, and everyone who contributed to the discussion.

About the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI)

The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) is Canada’s business council for the 21st century economy. We are a collective of over 175 of Canada’s fastest-growing and most ambitious companies, and the founders, CEOs, and executives behind them, working together to improve the business conditions that help more homegrown companies scale, compete globally, and drive long-term prosperity.