The Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science (BOREALIS) Joint Program Office (JPO) is hosting a Defence Innovation Secure Hub (DISH) Industry Day, which will be held at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, from 13:00 to 17:00.
What are the Defence Innovation Secure Hubs (DISH)?
A central feature of the BOREALIS model is the creation of DISH, which will establish and manage secure, mission-oriented innovation clusters that convene government, industry, academia, and other partners around priority capability challenges. The DISH will accelerate the development, integration, and transition of dual-use technologies into sovereign defence and security outcomes, while safeguarding sensitive research and intellectual property.
The recent establishment of the pilot Maritime DISH marks the beginning of a national network of secure, purpose-built spaces, where Canadian researchers and scientists and their trusted partners can co-develop, test, and validate emerging technologies requiring classified handling.
This engagement session is a follow-on activity from the DISH Request for Information (RFI), which closed on October 14, 2025. Based on the results of the RFI, two priority mission areas were identified: (1) quantum and (2) drone/counter-drone capabilities, which will be the focus of future DISH sites.
Therefore, this engagement session will aim to bring together experts in both domains from across Canada to further build on the results of the RFI and inform the design of an upcoming DISH Call for Proposals (CFP) launched under the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program.
Registration
In-person attendance at this event is by invitation only. If you have any questions regarding the event or if you would like to request an invitation, please reach out to the BOREALIS JPO team. Given that space is limited, an invitation for either in-person or virtual attendance may be extended.
