Our mission
Our mission is to advance practical skills and participation in Canada’s defence and dual-use technology ecosystem through education, collaborative challenges, technology demonstrations and opportunities for continued development.
We bring builders, researchers and industry together to advance practical skills and collaboration in defence and dual-use technology. We are seeking partners to help shape what comes next.
Partner with usFlagship program
Join a team, take on a practical challenge and demonstrate what you build to mentors and judges.
Partner with us
We are looking for partners who can contribute practical expertise, meaningful challenges, technology demonstrations, mentorship, resources or sponsorship.
Start a partnership conversationStart here
Dual-use
Dual-use technologies have both civilian and defence applications. General examples to explain the term, not a list of Foundry projects.
Leadership and flagship delivery
Our leadership and first programs are based in Edmonton, giving Alberta builders direct access to challenges, mentors and demonstrations.
Participation and collaboration
People across the country can take part, with online participation, shared briefs and the same judging standards wherever they are.
Online participation
The hackathon is planned for Edmonton and online. Event times will always be shown with a clear time zone.
Workshops and the technology showcase are being shaped. Partner conversations are open.
Canada’s Defence Tech Hackathon, in Edmonton and online. The new date and venue will be announced.
Technology Showcase, alongside the hackathon. Date and venue to be confirmed.
About
Canadian Defence Foundry is an Alberta-led initiative with a national mandate. We are developing practical learning programs, technology challenges and demonstrations that bring people and capabilities together across Canada. Our flagship event is planned for Edmonton. We are seeking collaborators to help shape and deliver our first programs.
Mission
To advance practical skills and participation in Canada’s defence and dual-use technology ecosystem through education, collaborative challenges, technology demonstrations and opportunities for continued development.
Dual-use technologies have both civilian and defence applications. The same work in sensing, software, materials or energy can serve emergency response, industry and public safety as well as defence.
Leadership and flagship delivery
Alberta is home to our leadership and flagship delivery. Our first programs are planned for Edmonton, giving Alberta builders direct access to challenges, mentors and demonstrations.
Participation and collaboration
Participation and collaboration are open nationwide. Nationally connected describes our direction and openness, not a list of signed agreements.
Leadership and governance
Canadian Defence Foundry is led by a small organizing team based in Edmonton. Organizer biographies will be published here once they are approved.
Each program has a named owner responsible for its content, status and participant communication. Program details are reviewed regularly and published only once confirmed.
Contact usPrinciples
Programs
Our first programs are planned or in development. Each shows its current status, and details are added only once they are confirmed.
In development Date and venue to be confirmed
We are developing an Alberta-hosted defence and dual-use technology showcase with national participation alongside Canada’s Defence Tech Hackathon, hosted in Edmonton. The proposed format brings together technology demonstrations, practical conversations and opportunities to identify useful next steps. We welcome expressions of interest from companies, researchers, builders and prospective partners.
Express interest in demonstratingProposed format
What we ask of demonstrators
Explain your use case, the evidence behind it, its current limitations and the kind of collaboration you are open to.
A weekend prototype and a mature product are both welcome, and each is presented as what it is.
An expression of interest is not an acceptance or a booth reservation. Online showcase participation will be described once its delivery format is confirmed.
Partner with us
We are seeking partners who share our ambition to connect people and capabilities across Canada. Contribute challenges, technical expertise, demonstrations, mentorship, resources or sponsorship. Help shape practical programs led from Alberta that create useful opportunities for participants nationwide.
Discuss a partnershipChoose one to see how it fits
Process
Tell us what you could contribute through the partnership form.
Agree shared objectives, the specific contribution, and the staff time and resources involved.
Confirm delivery responsibilities, timing and acknowledgment before anything is announced.
What a conversation covers
Sponsorship benefits will be described once a package is approved. Partnership does not include procurement access, contracts, awards, exclusive participant data or guaranteed outcomes.
Start a partnership conversationGet involved
Open to people across Canada. Pick a role and the form asks only what we need to know.
Contact
Every inquiry is read by our team, and we will contact you about an appropriate next step.
Registration and logistics for Canada’s Defence Tech Hackathon are on cdth.ca.
Updates
Genuine announcements only. Event recaps and outcomes will be added after programs run.
The hackathon is now planned for 2027, in Edmonton and online. The new date and venue will be announced on the event website.
Visit cdth.caWe are inviting partners, demonstrators, mentors and challenge contributors to help shape our first programs, including a proposed technology showcase alongside the hackathon.
Partner with usOccasional emails when programs are confirmed. Nothing else.
Questions
What to know about taking part, partnering and the hackathon.
Answers
Canadian Defence Foundry handles the information you send through this website.
The details you enter in our forms: your name, email, optional organization, your area of interest and your message. If you choose to subscribe, we keep your email for program updates.
To respond to your inquiry and, only if you ticked the separate updates box, to send program updates. We do not sell your information or share it with sponsors. We introduce you to another party only with your consent.
We count useful actions, such as inquiries sent and clicks to the hackathon website. Email addresses and message content are never sent to analytics.
Inquiries are kept only as long as needed to respond and follow up. You can ask us to delete your information or unsubscribe at any time through the contact form.
This website describes programs that are planned or in development. Details may change and are confirmed only when published here or on the relevant program website.
Submitting an inquiry or expression of interest does not create an agreement, acceptance, reservation or commitment by either party. Participation does not guarantee funding, purchases, contracts or awards.
Do not submit classified, controlled or other sensitive information through this website.
We aim to meet WCAG 2.2 AA. This site supports keyboard navigation, visible focus, labelled form fields, clear error messages and a motion switch in the footer. Motion is off by default if your device asks for reduced motion.
If something on this site does not work for you, or you need information in another format, tell us through the contact form and we will help.
