Thank you, Madam Chair and committee members, for the opportunity to contribute to your study on science and dual-use technology. My remarks will focus on how colleges and universities contribute to Canada's dual-use technology systems, and I'll use Memorial University's Marine Institute as a practical example of how federal science, innovation and security objectives are delivered on the ground.
Dual-use technologies, those with both civilian and defence applications, are now central to our research and innovation landscape. Technologies such as autonomous systems, subsea sensing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and advanced marine engineering underpin commercial sectors, such as the offshore energy and transportation sectors, while also supporting defence readiness, Arctic sovereignty and protection of critical infrastructure. As a result, the line between science policy and national security capability has largely disappeared. In this context, the Marine Institute represents a distinct category of post-secondary institutions, one that complements traditional research universities by translating science into operational capability.
First of all, our institution contributes through mission-ready workforce development and workforce resiliency. MI delivers industry-driven programs ranging from technical certifications to graduate degrees with a focus on accelerated, competency-based training. This model is particularly relevant to dual-use sectors, where government and industry require graduates who can operate safely and effectively in high-risk environments upon entering the workforce. Here is a great example: MI trains mariners, marine engineers and technologists who routinely work and move between civilian shipping, offshore energy and public sector fleets, including the Coast Guard and our navy. From a public policy standpoint, this converts federal education and research investment directly into deployable national capacity.
Second, we play a critical role in applied research and technology readiness. Many dual-use technologies originate in fundamental research, but their value to the public depends on whether they can be tested, validated and hardened for real operating conditions. Our research model focuses on moving technology across the technology readiness levels through prototyping, simulation and harsh environment testing. Facilities such as ours, The Launch in Holyrood, Newfoundland, now part of NATO's DIANA, defence innovation accelerator for the North Atlantic, program, enable autonomous and subsea systems to be tested in near-Arctic conditions. It cannot be replicated through modelling alone. This de-risks adoption for federal departments and aligns directly with the federal objective of accelerating commercialization under the defence industrial strategy.
Third, the institute functions as a true ecosystem collaborator. Dual-use innovators require collaboration between government, industry, indigenous partners and international allies. We provide a neutral platform where these sectors can work together using appropriate governance, security and ethical frameworks. Its partnerships with global firms, small companies, indigenous organizations and federal departments illustrate how post-secondary institutions can anchor regional innovation while delivering national outcomes.
Fourth, we contribute to responsible and trusted innovation. Dual-use technology raises legitimate questions about safety, ethics, environmental impact and public confidence. By embedding regulatory literacy, cybersecurity awareness and indigenous partnership in both training and research, we ensure that technology developed with public support is socially legitimate and operationally credible.
A final consideration is geography and sovereignty. Canada's marine and Arctic realities require innovation to occur in real environments, not only in laboratories. As a near-Arctic institution with long-standing co-leadership relations with indigenous partners, my institution provides capabilities that are unavailable elsewhere in our national system.
In conclusion, the Marine Institute demonstrates how colleges and universities can function as the delivery infrastructure for dual-use technology and dual-use science. When institutions with applied mandates are fully integrated into federal policy frameworks, public investments are translated into trained personnel, validated technologies and measurable national capability.
Thank you.