U of A, SAIT become new sites for NATO defence research

The future of defence research will be happening at the University of Alberta, which is one of two new test sites for NATO’s defence innovation accelerator.

“It’s gonna be a huge thing for use having those resources come to the University,” said Nathan Chong, a fifth-year mechanical student at the University of Alberta.

Erik Halliwell, a second-year electrical engineer master student at the University of Alberta adding, “At the university level, in the research labs, and at the student level, we want these sorts of opportunities to come to us.”

It’s engineering students like Chong and Halliwell that will see the benefits of the testing centre.

“In terms of practical and the day-to-day, week-to-week life of the student. I think for me and my research it may have direct applications to be tested at this test centre,” said Halliwell.

The international program, with accelerators in across North America, is looking to advance technologies for both military and civilian applications.

From satellites predicting wildfires to submarines that can scan underwater, there is no saying what could be developed at the new test centres.

“We have several members who were either former or current wildland firefighters in the summer so this cause is really close to home,” said Halliwell.

Chong adding, “Our key tenants are education, making sure we can get into robotics. A social support network while we’re in school and career opportunities in robotics after and I think DIANA will help us achieve that.”

The research is getting extra backing as Alberta opens two new NATO Defence Innovation Accelerators for North Atlantic (DIANA) labs. The second in Calgary at SAIT Polytechnique.

Both are part of 13 test centres across Canada, that are being added to the NATO roster.