Vanguard Magazine

defence and security ideas suCCessFuLLY GeNeratING O ne of the most significant challenges the Depart- ment of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) face is the rapid increase in complex innovations that are changing the global security envi- ronment. DND/CAF must remain ready to effective- ly adapt to any environment, whether responding to natural disasters, providing expert search and rescue, defending Canadian sovereignty, or contributing to greater peace and security in the world. So how do we equip our military with the tools and knowledge they need to mitigate new threats, stay ahead of potential adver- saries, and meet evolving defence and security needs? By ensuring members have access to the most recent innovations and tech- nologies. Traditionally, most defence innovation in Canada has been con- ducted in government research labs with only modest leveraging of Canadian industry and academic capabilities and expertise. This practice created a knowledge-gap and left certain ideas untapped. That was generally the case until a year ago when DND switched- up its innovation game and launched the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program. The IDEaS program, launched in April 2018 as a result of Canada's defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, outlined a $1.6 billion investment into Canada's innovation community over 20 years. The first of its kind in Canada, the program is designed to engage beyond the traditional defence and security community by inviting all Canadian innovators to propose solutions to the chal- lenges faced by DND/CAF. This extends across various levels of 24 APRIL/MAY 2019 www.vanguardcanada.com government to small and large industry, academia, not-for-profit organizations, as well as individuals working from their own home – the "basement innovators." The IDEaS program is seeing early success, and engagement is energizing Canada's innovation ecosystem. Easily summarized – the key to the program's success is extensive collaboration and being open to "the art of the possible." the creation of iDEaS The IDEaS program launch was no small feat. The program de- velopment team worked tirelessly in advance of the April launch – defining the program through extensive consultations, stream- lining processes and instituting governing policies and processes. They worked closely with their colleagues across Defence, in other federal departments, and in industry, as well as with similar inter- national programs, to gather best practices, receive guidance, and adopt lessons learned. The basic premise of the IDEaS program is that DND/CAF identify their most challenging areas and submit them to the pro- gram. Program officials determine the best program mechanism to solve those challenges and publish the requirement online, in- viting Canadian innovators to submit their proposals. "The IDEaS Program will provide unique opportunities for Ca- nadians to put forward their best solutions on defence and security challeng¬es, and will help put those solutions into the hands of the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces. This investment will support the growth and expansion of Canada's innovation From Coast to Coast deFenCe PoLiCY INNOVATION FOR DEFENCE EXCELLENCE AND SECURITY IDEaS INNOVATION POUR LA DÉFENSE, L'EXCELLENCE ET LA SÉCURITÉ IDEeS INNOVATION FOR DEFENCE EXCELLENCE AND SECURITY IDEaS INNOVATION POUR LA DÉFENSE, L'EXCELLENCE ET LA SÉCURITÉ IDEeS

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