Calian Group launches Calian Ventures

Executive Summary

• Calian Group Ltd. has launched "Calian Ventures," described as Canada's first Defence Innovation Orchestrator, aimed at helping small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) scale proven Canadian defence solutions into sovereign capabilities for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
• The initiative leverages Calian’s engineering experience and relationships to assist partners in testing, validating, and scaling technologies into Canadian and allied procurements while allowing SMEs to retain intellectual property.
• Calian Ventures will initially focus on three priority streams: command and control decision support systems, autonomous systems, and space resource orchestration.

Key Details

• Launch Name: Calian Ventures.
• Strategic Goal: To build Canada's defence industrial base by turning Canadian solutions into Canadian defence capabilities, reducing dependence on other nations.
• Target Audience: Small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs), academia, financial institutions, and business support organizations.
• Priority Streams:
  1. Command and control decision support systems.
  2. Autonomous systems.
  3. Space resource orchestration.
• Value Proposition for SMEs: Provides access to expertise, integration environments, and pathways to procurement; accelerates growth and removes barriers to scaling solutions into large CAF programs.
• Market Context: Cites the "State of Canada's Defence Industry 2024 report," noting the defence industrial base includes 585 firms generating $14.3-billion in revenue and supporting over 81,000 jobs, with over 85% being SMEs.
• Complementary Programs: Designed to build on successes of federal initiatives like the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program, which has financed over 600 innovation projects since 2018.

Notable Quotes

• "Today we are proud to launch Calian Ventures, Canada's defence innovation orchestrator... By leveraging Calian's engineering experience, integrated defence solutions and trusted CAF relationships, we will work with partners to turn Canadian solutions into Canadian defence capabilities to help build Canada's defence industrial base -- that's what Calian Ventures is all about." — Chris Pogue, President Defence and Space, Calian.
• "By orchestrating collaboration between SMEs, the CAF and partners, Calian Ventures provides SMEs with critical access to expertise, integration environments and pathways to procurement -- accelerating growth, removing barriers and driving innovation... This is a missing component of Canada's defence industrial ecosystem and is needed now -- more than ever -- as Canada seeks to surge defence spending and reduce defence industrial dependence on other nations." — Chris Pogue.