That gap was at the centre of discussions April 8 at the University of Ottawa’s second National Security Innovation Forum, where researchers, industry leaders, funders and policymakers gathered to answer this question: how can democratic allies innovate fast enough, together, to keep up with today’s rapidly changing security environment?
Building on uOttawa’s first National Security Innovation Forum, held last November and focused on Canada’s defence and security innovation ecosystem, this second edition looked outward. The conversation shifted from what Canada can do on its own to what Canada and Europe can build together and what needs to change to make that co-operation faster and more effective.
The challenge: Alignment, not awareness
Across panels, participants pointed to the same issue: innovation now moves quickly across borders, but funding programs, procurement rules, and governance move more slowly. Many practices were designed for a different era, leaving a gap between what’s technically possible and what can realistically happen in a timeframe.
Panellists stressed that today’s security decisions no longer are made in isolation. How countries invest in research and innovation increasingly shapes whom they can work with, which technologies they can trust and how quickly they can act when conditions change. Research capacity is no longer a separate policy issue — it’s become a practical part of security readiness.
This helps explain why universities, industry and governments are increasingly working together. Modern security is not only about responding to crises through defence institutions. It also depends on whether innovation systems extending across countries are aligned before a crisis begins.
Research that supports real‑world security needs
The forum’s research spotlight illustrated how R&D can be aligned with real‑world security needs through work already underway at uOttawa.
Examples included secure AI‑enabled networks to protect 5G and 6G systems and autonomous technologies, quantum and nanophotonics research supporting next‑generation sensing and secure communications, and space medicine research focused on human health and resilience in extreme and remote environments.
Together, they reinforced the point that security innovation is interdisciplinary by necessity. It depends on engineering, science and medicine working in concert, informed by legal, social and historical insight that grounds technical solutions in a real-world context. That 360‑degree perspective is often what makes innovation reliable and lasting.
Participants also noted that this kind of collaboration depends on finding the right balance — protecting sensitive applications while keeping research open enough to support international cooperation.
Speed, co-ordination and the role of industry
For companies working in or near the security space, time is often the most pressing constraint.
Industry leaders were direct: the gap discussed above hits hardest at the deployment stage, when time-to-market needs aren’t aligned with procurement and funding, which aren’t built for speed. When that happens, technologies can lose momentum or be overtaken by events on the ground before they’re deployed.
These problems are especially challenging for startups and growing companies. Many of today’s most innovative solutions come from smaller firms, but these companies often lack clear signals about government priorities, standards or potential customers. Uncertainty around standards, customers and timelines makes it harder to plan and invest with confidence.
Using technologies across countries adds another layer of complexity. Solutions need to work across different systems, meet shared requirements and earn the trust of all partners. For technologies that have both civilian and security uses, participants stressed the importance of clear rules early on — including about when and how research moves from open collaboration to more controlled application.
Speakers consistently emphasized the importance of making governance and co-ordination decisions early. When standards, regulations and procurement expectations are considered together from the outset, technologies can move faster and be used responsibly, rather than getting stuck once they’re already mature or rushed into place during urgent situations.
From shared ambition to sustained execution
The forum also highlighted a familiar challenge in international collaboration: funding systems often lag behind political agreement.
Although Canada and Europe share many priorities, differences in timelines, eligibility rules and risk tolerance can slow progress. Organizations such as funding agencies like the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Mitacs, and national laboratories like the National Research Council, play an important role in turning shared goals into workable partnerships.
Participants said that long‑term collaboration depends on predictability. Short‑term pilots and one‑off calls can initiate relationships, but they rarely provide the stability needed to build lasting systems. Without clear paths from collaboration to deployment, momentum is easily lost.
Trust based partnerships, built over time rather than funding cycles, were consistently cited as a key factor in success. Universities act as steady anchors for R&D support, innovation and talent development, while industry connects ecosystems and moves research into use.
Looking ahead, all participants left with a clear sense of what is needed to move forward. The ingredients of a strong Canada-Europe partnership in defence and technology already exist. The research capacity is there. The shared values are there. What remains is the harder work of aligning funding cycles, harmonizing standards, and building sustained relationships that turn ambition into capability.
For the University of Ottawa, that convergence is not abstract, it is already taking shape. From quantum communications to AI-enabled networks and pandemic preparedness, uOttawa researchers are working on the problems that define today's security landscape. Located steps from Parliament Hill, the University is positioned to attract talent, align expertise across disciplines and propel discovery into the systems that keep people and nations safe.
