By Ashley Young-
The Canadian government has unveiled a list of 85 Chinese, 12 Iranian, and 6 Russian research institutions that it deems to “may pose” a threat to national security and sensitive research.
The disclosure, made on Tuesday, is part of Canada’s broader strategy to safeguard sensitive industrial sectors, including advanced weaponry, aerospace, space technology, and quantum science, from the perils of economic espionage and theft.
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François-Philippe Champagne,(pictured) the federal industry minister, emphasized the importance of securing Canadian research and development in these critical sectors, acknowledging the risks associated with the openness of Canadian-led research.
The listed organizations are believed to have ties to “military, national defence, or state security entities.”
The newly identified “sensitive technology research areas” span digital infrastructure technology, energy technology, advanced materials and manufacturing, sensing and surveillance tech, advanced weapons, artificial intelligence and big data, human-machine integration, quantum science and technology, and robotics and autonomous systems.
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Certain life sciences research, aerospace, space, and satellite research are also on the list.
Champagne had previously assured that the listing would be “agnostic” regarding specific countries or companies, but the inclusion of numerous Chinese entities suggests a focal point for Canadian intelligence agencies.
The Canadian government aims to vet grant applications in these sensitive areas to ensure that researchers associated with the projects are not connected to the listed organizations.
The policy applies to federal funding through granting agencies and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
Applications with connections to the listed organizations would render them ineligible for federal funding. The government is collaborating with security partners to draft and regularly update the list.
The listed Chinese entities include institutions with direct ties to the Chinese armed forces, such as the Rocket Force Command College, People’s Public Security University of China, and the National University of Defence Technology.
Russian entities, such as the 27th Scientific Centre of the Russian Ministry of Defence and 48th Central Scientific Research Institute, and Iranian entities like the Aerospace Research Institute Baghyatollah Medical Sciences University, are also included.
Over the years, Canadian intelligence agencies have warned about state-backed actors attempting to steal Canadian research and development, emphasizing the importance of securing sensitive information against economic espionage.
Despite the crucial need to protect Canadian research, concerns have been raised about potential unintended consequences.
Internal documents obtained through access to information law revealed worries within Public Safety Canada about creating a chill within ethnic communities and impacting Canada’s bilateral relations.
The Canadian government has stressed the necessity of well-considered messaging to mitigate these risks.
The new policy is set to come into effect in September, underscoring Canada’s commitment to maintaining the integrity and security of its critical research and development sectors.
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