Vanguard Magazine

22 JUNE/JULY 2021 www.vanguardcanada.com INNOVATION BY IDEaS BUILDING R apid response. Quick pivots. Just-in-time delivery. These concepts are essential to com- bat modern threats. But none are possible without a serious conviction to support an innovation eco- system that can help develop the technol- ogy necessary to meet new defence chal- lenges head-on. In the Department of National Defence (DND) sphere, this innovation ecosystem is being stimulated by the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program. It is fast becoming an important support for the defence of Canada to help DND get ahead of what's next. Building the ecosystem Like the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), the IDEaS program has a mission. It helps DND and the CAF address critical challeng- es to Canada's defence and security posture. The approach is demand-driven; inno- vation is for the first time being drawn in through the capacity outside of DND's walls. The program links DND/CAF's needs to this external capacity, which in turn helps grow Canadian innovation ca- pabilities. The program has matured over its first three years, helping mitigate new threats, staying ahead of potential adversaries, and meeting evolving defence and security needs through technology. The networks and relationships built are a valuable by- product of the process. Collaboration is key A key aspect of the program is to re-imag- ine the way the innovators work. Not just by pushing technology through a defence lens, but by creating synergies between technologies that may not have naturally occurred. "By encouraging companies to Members from Joint Task Force – IMPACT join partner nations Jordan, UK, and the US to conduct Exercise OLIVE GROVE, a joint training exercise in the Jordan desert as part of Operation IMPACT. Photo: DND a Defence Innovation Ecosystem work together, to combine their technol- ogies and come up with integrated solu- tions, we get better and more advanced results," says Director General, Innova- tion, Eric Fournier, and head of the pro- gram. Mr. Fournier points to the Pop-up City Contest pitch event, where contestants were expected to merge their indepen- dent technologies to produce an integrat- ed solution for a relocatable temporary camp for troops. Energy, water, and waste management systems had to be joined to reduce inputs and outputs, and teams had to pitch their concepts together to a panel of judges from DND/CAF and other government partners. Up to three lucky winners will receive $1.5M to de- velop their prototype. The teams each contained up to seven different compa- nies that are working together. Other funding elements, like Innovation

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