Road map for NRC's Security Materials Technology program nears completion

Slate of projects expected soon

The National Research Council (NRC) is ramping up its Security Materials Technology (SMT) program with a nearly completed roadmap and extensive industry engagement. The objective is to infuse advanced manufacturing and advanced materials technologies into companies targeting the armoured vehicle (AV) and personal protective equipment (PPE) markets. Fresh off a large workshop and presentations at the Securetech trade show in Ottawa, leaders of the SMT Roadmap are working with companies and organizations in the defence and first responders communities to forge collaborations and create industry pull.

The SMT program was launched nearly two years ago and is a joint venture between NRC and Defence R&D Canada (DRDC) (R$, September 8/14). NRC is providing $50 million over seven years while DRDC is contributing with two large R&D projects for soldier system effectiveness and land operational vehicles. Further funding from industry is also anticipated once projects reach the commercialization stage.

"We invest to create direct benefit for industry by requiring industry co-investment. SMT is in the middle of applied research where industry pays a large percentage to something where there's a lower industry percentage," says Dr Andrew Jackson, SMT Road Map co-chair and leader of the NRC's STM program. "Research tends to apply to materials while applied research is for products for industry."

The SMT Roadmap is scheduled for completion in early 2016 and industry has been engaged throughout the development process. The November 23-24 workshop attracted 140 industrial, academic and government delegates, generating more than 50 new project ideas for the SMT program and a number of follow-on meetings to develop strategies for moving forward.

Jackson says his objective over the next six months is to generate a large number of projects spanning the technology readiness level (TRL) spectrum, from one (fundamental research such as nano materials) to nine (demonstration projects requiring large investments).

"The roadmap is step one in a very long process but it's of substantial value to kick things off," says Jackson. "I was blown away by the level of enthusiasm we saw at the workshop. Companies are generally reluctant to talk about their technologies in front of other companies but I was impressed by the level of openness and discussion of areas of commonality. We hope it translates into as many multi-partner activities as we can The next year is the critical period to see we can turn this into action."

"We will use the Security and Materials Technology Roadmap tool as a guide for investment from government and where industry should be investing their own R&D to mutual benefit ... There are a lot of companies of various sizes and this will help the R&D of SMEs and leverage it with investments by others. It can be very tricky." — Andrew Jackson, leader, NRC Security Materials Technology program

Partnering closely with the NRC and DRDC is the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), which has more than 1,000 large, medium and small companies from the defence and securities industrial sector. Members employ 109,000 workers and generate $12.6 billion in annual revenue.

Janet Thorsteinson, CADSI's VP government relations, says the majority of companies attending the roadmapping workshop were small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

"To devote time to a process like this is voting on how important they think it is," says Thorsteinson. "About 70% of our members are SMEs and 30% are larger corporations, some with foreign parentage but also Canadian companies like CAE, which is a world class multinational."

Successor to SSTRM

The STM program and accompanying roadmap exercise follows a similar strategic planning exercise — the Soldier Systems Technology Road Map (SSTRM) — which began as a joint initiative between Industry Canada and the Department of National Defence. The project was transferred to the latter when Industry Canada terminated its technology roadmapping division (R$, June 22/11 & January 20/12).

"There are a lot of connections between our roadmap and SSTRM. There are a lot of the same people and some from the soldier system secretariat came over to us," says Jackson. "Many of my colleagues were involved and it was a superb exercise. It was trying to meet an interesting opportunity but there was no way to sustain it. Industry Canada always envisioned someone else to pick it up and NRC can play that role with CADSI."

Thorsteinson agree, adding that the early dialogue of the SSTRM had an important effect on the user community by engaging it in the process of mapping out the future needs of defence and first responders.

"Our roadmapping process is itself a beneficiary (of SSTRM)," says Thorsteinson.

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