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People. Skills. Stronger Canada. Canada's defence and security needs are taking on greater importance amid a rapidly changing global environment. Strengthening domestic defence capabilities is increasingly critical to protecting national security and sovereignty, building economic resilience and ensuring Canada has the skilled talent, technology and industrial capacity to respond to emerging challenges. The Government of Canada is committing $81.6 billion to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), including $6.6 billion directly dedicated to a Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) 34 that creates opportunities for businesses of all sizes to get involved in military procurement and research and development. • Creating 125,000 high-quality jobs nationwide. • Raising operational serviceability rates to 75% for maritime fleets, 80% for land fleets, and 85% for aerospace fleets. • Boosting the proportion of domestic suppliers to 70%. • Entering strategic partnerships with domestic firms to help them grow into global leaders. • Generating $5.1+ billion annually in new defence revenues for local small and medium- sized businesses. • Structuring procurement of raw materials such as steel, aluminum and critical minerals from within Canada to strengthen sovereignty and maximize regional economic benefits. • Supporting domestic production capacity with an immediate focus on ammunition and explosives production. • Leveraging frameworks such as the Investment Canada Act to protect research, physical assets, and critical knowledge. • Expanding defence exports by 50%. • Strengthening Canadian innovation and industrial capacity through incentives for strategic investments, research and development, and intellectual property development. • Increasing public investment in defence research and development by 85% and streamlining pathways to rapidly commercialize and acquire successful Canadian technological innovations. The downstream economic benefits of these investments in the CAF are estimated to total $120+ billion by 2035 in Canada. Georgian students may benefit greatly during and after their studies when private firms with military contracts have the need and resources to hire them. DIS targets include: 29 Insights Report | Fall 2026