As Canada considers a major investment in new Navy submarines, Western University is partnering with the world’s largest non‑nuclear submarine builder to advance defence research and strengthen Canadian sovereignty. The university recently signed a memorandum of understanding with TKMS, affirming its commitment to international and private-sector partnerships that support innovative, made-in-Canada solutions and positioning Western as a core academic partner in TKMS’s newly launched Canadian Defence and Dual-Use Innovation Ecosystem (CDDE). The national initiative, linking universities, Indigenous businesses and industry partners in Canada, Germany and Norway, is designed to strengthen Canada’s ability to translate advanced research into deployable defence capabilities and scalable civilian applications.  “Canada is taking steps to strengthen its sovereignty, and universities have a significant role to play,” said Western President Alan Shepard. “With leading research in autonomous systems, secure communications, AI and more, Western is ready to help move that work forward.” The partnership will accelerate technology in areas aligned with Canada’s priorities, including Arctic research, maritime capability, clean technologies, AI, autonomous systems and multi-domain operations (MDO), which link activities across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. It will also help translate research into real-world applications.   As part of the collaboration, Western and TKMS will help strengthen Canada’s defence and dual‑use innovation ecosystem. Western researchers have expertise in a wide variety of “dual use” technologies, which can serve both civilian and military purposes.  “Our new partnership with TKMS will help boost Canadian sovereignty and security by growing domestic talent and capacity in this space. It also creates exciting opportunities for our researchers in engineering, science and other disciplines to develop innovative technologies and advance projects that matter for Canada’s future,” said Penny Pexman, Western’s vice-president (research).  TKMS, a German provider of integrated system solutions in maritime defence technologies with more than 180 years of experience in naval engineering, is seeking a federal government contract to provide new submarines to replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s aging fleet. 
Western and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems representatives

(L to R) Paul Cardoso, Western partnership development manager, David Muir, Western’s associate vice-president (innovation and strategic partnerships), TKMS representatives Dr. Jeronimo Dzaack and Marius Hölter. (DFH Photography)

“By bringing together academia, industry, government and a skilled workforce, this collaboration contributes to a strong, resilient innovation ecosystem,” said Thomas Keupp, chief sales officer at TKMS. “Growing the relationship between Western University and TKMS allows academic researchers to contribute to protecting their country in a vital way by developing and commercializing dual-use technologies that serve to benefit millions of people.”   

Western researchers drive innovation 

Unique solutions that can support Canada’s security needs, including in the Arctic and Maritime regions, are already emerging from Western’s research community.  Experts at the university are advancing work in areas such as advanced networking, digital twins (virtual models of real-world systems), sensor fusion (combining data from different sensors) and autonomous systems. Together, these strengths help create smarter, more reliable networks that allow people and autonomous vehicles to communicate clearly and safely – even in challenging environments, including underwater. Cutting-edge drone research at Western makes safe and secure data collection possible, even in areas that are inaccessible or unsafe for humans. That work can be leveraged for a variety of complex tasks, such as exploring hazardous regions in space, inspecting remote infrastructure and delivering across long distances.  Western’s strength in space research – including its Institute for Earth and Space Exploration – is also a key source of dual-use technology. A meteor-tracking camera system originally developed by a Western team is now used to monitor satellites and other objects passing over the country, with more than 17,000 spotted in the first year of continuous observation. The technology is in use at four sites across Canada through a partnership between Western and Defence Research and Development Canada, including one location in the Canadian High Arctic, and has particular value for protecting and defending Canadian airspace.   Western’s partnership with TKMS will build on these existing projects while developing capacity and skills among researchers and students, strengthening home-grown expertise to support research, innovation and commercialization.   “This initiative is part of a wider strategy connecting Western researchers with government and industry to support Canadian interests. Research universities like Western must be part of discussions about Canada’s sovereignty and place in the world and we look forward to further collaborations,” said Pexman.