Moderator: Murad Hemmadi
 

As robotics, physical AI, and autonomous systems redefine the global security landscape, Canada has a critical opportunity to leverage new defence spending commitments as a strategic pivot to solve the national productivity crisis, creating a powerful engine for innovation and global competitiveness. This panel will explore how to create a more cohesive innovation landscape, allowing insights and technologies to move between commercial, aerospace, and defense industries to solve shared national challenges.

Drawing on insights from industrial, economic, and R&D policy, and the experience of scaling robotics firms, we will delve into the practical steps needed to secure a robust Canadian robotics ecosystem. The discussion will focus on creating a strategic pipeline for reciprocal innovation, ensuring that defence-developed robotics and physical AI find commercial applications while enabling civilian technologies—from hard sectors like advanced manufacturing and logistics—to be adapted to meet critical national needs.

We will also address how this integrated approach can generate broader benefits for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the industries that underpin our economy, and the crucial role of building public trust to sustain this vital ecosystem for long-term national security and economic resilience. Drawing lessons from the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, we will discuss why and how strategically integrating robotics into Canada's constellation of priority technologies can secure the nation's security, prosperity, and competitiveness on the world stage.