University of Waterloo faculty and staff are invited to a webinar on Monday, February 5, from 9 to 10 a.m. with Philippe Hébert, Director General of R&D Innovation for Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), to learn more about the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program and NATO DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic). There will be time at the end of the presentation for questions and they are encouraged.
Please register below to receive a link for the webinar.
About Philippe Hébert
Philippe Hébert is the Director General of R&D Innovation for Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), where he is responsible for leading key innovation initiatives such as the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program. His role is to ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces/Department of National Defence have access to the most cutting-edge solutions from Canadian Innovators for their challenges.
From 2015 until 2022, Mr. Hébert was the Director General for Intelligence Policy and Partnerships with the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command where he oversaw and coordinated the development and promulgation of defence intelligence policies, directives and governance frameworks. He was also responsible for the management of defence intelligence partnerships with the Five-Eyes community, NATO, other allied countries, as well as with other federal government departments and agencies. Most recently in 2023, Mr. Hébert was invited to be a Canadian Board Member for NATO DIANA.
IDEaS
Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) is the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF’s) access to innovation program. It transforms defence and security challenges being faced by the various partners in DND/CAF like the Air Force, the Navy, Army, special forces, and others into innovative solutions to improve Canada’s defence capabilities. Launched in 2018, the program has been given $1.6 billion over 20 years to deliver on its mandate.
NATO DIANA
The Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) program is an initiative launched by NATO to enable innovation across the alliance. DIANA leverages its acceleration programme and test centre network to bring start-ups together with operational end users, scientists, and systems integrators to advance compelling deep tech with dual-use solutions for the Alliance.