“Quantum technologies — computing, sensing, and communications — are now understood as strategic infrastructure that will underpin economic competitiveness and national security for decades to come. The Canadian Quantum Champions Program (CQCP) is designed to ensure that Canada translates its early leadership in quantum computing into scalable, sovereign capability with long-term value — anchoring the companies, talent, and intellectual property here. This is not merely about inventing the future, but building it here, in Canada.

Budget 2025 signalled the Government of Canada’s commitment to quantum as a strategic priority under the new Defence Industrial Strategy. Today’s launch of the CQCP is a significant step in translating that commitment into action. With milestone-based funding and independent benchmarking, the program supports multiple technical pathways while applying scientific rigour to manage risk and accelerate industrialization.

Canada has built exceptional capabilities across quantum computing, sensing, communications, and enabling technologies. These capabilities are reaching different stages of readiness, creating diverse opportunities for strategic engagement. Patient capital supports companies approaching industrial application. Targeted procurement validates technologies that are ready to be deployed and scaled. This is the portfolio approach Canada needs.

Canada leads in quantum because we made strategic bets early, investing in research, attracting top talent, and launching companies that compete globally. The CQCP represents a next phase — strategic investment focused on scaling industrial capability. With sustained commitment through investment, procurement, and strategic partnerships with trusted allies, Canada is positioned to translate our quantum leadership into lasting economic resilience and security advantage. The focus now is execution, and Canada’s quantum industry is ready to meet that moment.”

— Lisa Lambert, CEO, Quantum Industry Canada

“Chair, Honourable Members — thank you for the opportunity to appear today.

I’m here on behalf of Quantum Industry Canada (QIC), the national consortium representing more than seventy quantum firms and strategic partners across the country. Our aim is to translate Canada’s quantum strengths into strategic advantage and commercial success.

Let me begin with something essential: quantum isn’t a single technology. It’s an emerging platform that will reshape our economy, security, and defence. This platform spans sensing, communications, computing, and the enabling systems that make quantum devices possible. Together, they form the foundation of the next technological era, and defence will feel their impact first.

Quantum is no longer theoretical. Some capabilities are already being deployed; others are advancing faster than expected. They’re enabling entirely new ways to sense, navigate, secure, and interpret our world, unlocking dual-use capabilities that today’s systems simply can’t match.

And unlike many technologies that mature in civilian markets before reaching defence, quantum is moving in the opposite direction. Defence will be the earliest adopter, because the missions demand it and the advantages are too significant to ignore. The countries that develop and deploy these capabilities now will shape the next era of economic and strategic power.

Canada enters this moment with real advantages. We recognized the quantum opportunity early, invested, built world-class institutions, trained top talent, and commercialized quantum before most countries even recognized its importance.

Because of those early bets:

• Canada now has one of the strongest, most complete quantum ecosystems in the world.
• We have the second-highest number of quantum SMEs globally, and the highest per capita.
• And our companies routinely compete against far larger, better resourced players.

Quantum is an extraordinary national asset. But early leadership is not the same as lasting advantage. If we do not convert Canada’s quantum strengths into deployable capability and industrial scale, they will be captured elsewhere — along with the talent, IP, and economic value that follow.

The global quantum race is accelerating. Quantum is being hard-wired into both defence and industrial strategies. Allies and competitors alike are standing up defence innovation units, securing supply chains, and using strategic procurement to expeditiously pull technologies into deployment. 

The economic stakes speak for themselves. A study referenced in Canada’s National Quantum Strategy estimates quantum could contribute more than 3% of GDP by 2045, roughly the size of today’s aerospace sector. Global estimates run into the trillions. 

That value will be captured somewhere. The question is whether it will be captured here, for the benefit of Canadians.

Quantum’s defence relevance is profound:

• Quantum sensing can detect what current systems cannot, including submarines beneath Arctic waters or stealth aircraft.
• Quantum navigation provides precise positioning without GPS, essential in contested environments.
• Quantum communications and quantum-safe cybersecurity make command-and control harder to disrupt, and easier to trust.
• Quantum computing will transform materials discovery, logistics, advanced cyber operations, and complex decision-making.

These capabilities will determine, quite literally, who can see first, act first, and stay secure under pressure.

Which brings me to the new Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS). The DIS is a generational opportunity, not only for military capability, but for Canada’s industrial future.

Canada’s quantum sector is built on SMEs — fast, innovative, and globally competitive. With defence as an early partner and first customer, these firms can grow into neoprimes, next-generation integrators, and future anchor companies. 

But they cannot reach that scale through Canada’s traditional approaches to public-private partnership and legacy defence procurement, which is built for large incumbents and moves far too slowly for frontier technologies.

If the DIS is to meet its ambitions, it must create modern partnership models that let DND and the CAF work directly with emerging industries like quantum: validating capabilities early, reducing friction, and scaling sovereign technologies at the speed of relevance. 

This is how Canada strengthens both prosperity and protection: by ensuring the technologies that secure us also build our economic future.

Canada is unusually well positioned to do this. Through QIC, the quantum sector is already coordinated, making engagement simpler and more strategic. 

Quantum is at a hinge moment, and so is Canada. With the right approach, the DIS can turn Canada’s early leadership into critical capabilities and enduring advantage while helping our homegrown SMEs grow into tomorrow’s industrial champions.

Quantum Industry Canada and our community stand ready to help. Thank you.”

About Alexandra Daoud, Chair of the Board

Strategic Advisor & Fractional Chief IP Officer, Daoud IP

Alexandra Daoud is a strategic leader with more than two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, innovation, and intellectual property. With a proven track record in guiding IP strategy and advising in cutting-edge fields such as quantum computing and AI, she brings both sector depth and strategic vision to QIC’s governance.

Alexandra previously served as Vice President of IP and Regulatory Affairs at Anyon Systems and holds a B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from McGill University. She is a registered patent agent with both USPTO and CIPO.

About Elise Usunier, Vice-Chair of the Board

Chief Commercial Officer, Zero Point Cryogenics

Elise Usunier is a results-driven leader specializing in the commercialization of advanced technologies and fostering innovation ecosystems. As Chief Commercial Officer at Zero Point Cryogenics, Elise leads strategic initiatives to bring cutting-edge cryogenic cooling solutions to market, supporting global researchers and organizations in advancing the capabilities of quantum computing and data center infrastructure.

With a strong background in scaling emerging technologies, Elise has managed enterprise growth strategies, developed actionable frameworks for innovation ecosystems, and facilitated collaboration between academia, industry, and government. A strategist with an MBA in International Business, Elise combines a passion for technological advancement with an ability to align innovation with economic and societal goals.