Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and honourable members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to speak about the critical topic of space within Canada's defence domain.
My name is Arad Gharagozli, and I'm the founder and CEO of Galaxia Mission Systems, a Canadian manufacturer of intelligent satellites. We are headquartered in our beautiful Nova Scotia. At Galaxia, we are building advanced space-intelligence platforms designed for both defence and commercial uses. Our satellites process data directly in orbit and are blended with artificial intelligence to provide real-time insight and autonomous monitoring of the earth. Our approach is transforming space intelligence and driving innovation that benefits both national security and critical infrastructure. Space technology is critical to our national defence. Space assets enable intelligence-gathering, communication and precision navigation, which are all vital for protecting sovereignty, enhancing our war-fighting capabilities and securing Canada's critical infrastructure.
The deployment of space-based technologies is happening faster than ever, but traditional, long-cycle space missions cannot meet the fast-paced demands of modern defence needs. To remain competitive, Canada must adopt more agile and responsive space capabilities and minimize the time between identifying a gap to deploying solutions into orbit. The rise of new space businesses is key to meeting these challenges. Smaller, more agile businesses can deliver novel solutions and services faster and more cost-effectively, allowing Canada to respond rapidly to evolving defence needs.
The U.S. space priorities framework underscores the need for resilient and responsive space capabilities, which parallels Canada's growing need to enhance its space operations. The framework stresses that, as space becomes a contested domain, it's about protecting space assets, fostering innovation and strengthening national defence through public and private collaboration. Canada must do the same by developing independent launch capabilities, investing in new space companies and ensuring seamless integration between Canada's defence and private sectors. This means using domestic procurement vehicles to propel national companies, which will expand Canada's space capabilities, grow our expert portfolio and create space sector jobs here at home.
The Canadian Space Agency has been a vital leader in this area, supporting innovative solutions in the scientific and commercial space markets during early stages of research and development. Many of these applications expand into the defence market with strong dual-use capabilities. We must expand our support to the Canadian Space Agency to ensure it remains competitive in responding to our domestic space growth needs.
We must also modernize defence procurement programs to accommodate the new space economy in its supply chain, specifically in the form of prime contractors. This means increasing the frequency of projects in contract formats, ensuring the long-term evolution of the industry, job security and innovation sustainability. Establishing the national space council is a positive step, as was creating the 3 Canadian Space Division, but we have more work to do.
Current long-term, bureaucratic procurement processes create barriers for new Canadian space companies, restricting innovation and slowing progress. Streamlined procurement mechanisms will enable the private sector to engage with government projects and contribute cutting-edge technologies. A space-independent Canada with robust defence capabilities is essential for our long-term security and economic growth. By embracing new and emerging space companies, we will build a strong space sector right here in Canada, supporting both the commercial and space sectors. This can be achieved if our public procurement process is ready to adopt the new ways of innovating that our allies already have. Accelerating the growth of our new domestic space companies, adopting updated defence procurement policies and streamlining communication channels will also allow a flow of information to identify gaps and allow the private sector to respond swiftly.
Lastly, space is complex and costly. We must increase support to the Canadian Space Agency to ensure that research and development in essential space capabilities continue to grow. The day we build a space-independent Canada by maximizing the use of our domestic talents and skills to push the boundaries of what's possible in space is the day Canada will become a future-ready nation with strong defensive and commercial capabilities that will reach beyond our borders.
Thank you.