Dr. Kate Kaminska is the Director General of the BOREALIS Joint Program Office at Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), where she is leading the creation of a new cross-government platform to accelerate defence innovation, advanced research, and secure technology development. Prior to assuming this role, she served as DRDC’s Chief Scientist and Departmental Science Advisor to the Department of National Defence (DND).

A physicist with a background in materials science, Dr. Kaminska has over 20 years of experience in public sector science and innovation, with expertise in quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, and defence S&T. She has held several senior leadership positions, including:

- Director, Digital Solutions (DND Digital Services Group), where she established a new directorate and led major digital transformation initiatives, including cloud modernization and new product-based delivery models;
- Director, R&D Program (DRDC), overseeing a multi-million-dollar portfolio of research in quantum, autonomy, and electronic warfare;
- Section Head, Joint Targeting (DRDC CORA), where she developed a new capability delivering real-time S&T support to military operations; and
- Portfolio Manager, IDEaS, leading the inaugural competitive project call and pioneering agile procurement processes for defence innovation.

Earlier in her career, she served as Advisor to the Chief of Staff (Science and Technology), as a Defence Scientist specializing in public safety and security, and as a Research Officer at the National Research Council of Canada, working at the forefront of nanotechnology.

Dr. Kaminska holds a Ph.D. in Physics (2005) and a B.Sc. in Engineering Physics (2000), both from Queen’s University.