Ontario Tech University has qualified as a supplier in the federal government's Defence Drone Initiative (DDI) Marketplace, becoming the only university in Ontario among the qualified suppliers. The milestone positions the university to compete for future Department of National Defence contracts involving Canadian drone and autonomous technologies.
The university qualified under Stream 5 (Innovation and Experimentation) with capabilities including environmental and vibration testing, resilience to signal jamming and satellite-navigation disruption, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence, robotics and mechatronics, sensor testing and cybersecurity.
The qualification builds on the university's ACE research and testing facility — a NATO DIANA test centre — and its role in Oshawa's National Defence Innovation Corridor. The DDI Marketplace is a five-year supply arrangement through the Defence Investment Agency for future DND contracts involving uncrewed and autonomous systems and counter-uncrewed technologies.
Behind the story
Sources & publication details
- Byline
- Daily Durham News
- Published
- Oct 8, 2026, 4:16 p.m.
- Source
- news.ontariotechu.ca
