BlackBerry Limited subsidiary QNX has teamed up with German naval builder thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) to supply embedded software for Canada’s Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). Launched in 2021, the initiative aims to develop up to 12 next-generation submarines to replace the aging Victoria-class submarine fleet that has been in service since the 1990s.
As part of the partnership, QNX will provide its General Embedded Development Platform, which will function as a real-time operating system for the submarines. Described as a “trusted foundational software,” the system is expected to enhance cybersecurity resilience while ensuring seamless interoperability with allied naval forces.
QNX noted that the agreement highlights strengthening defense collaboration between Canada and Germany, aligning with Ottawa’s updated Defence Industrial Strategy, which emphasizes exporting domestic technologies and deepening international military partnerships.
Canada’s newly unveiled Defence Industrial Strategy, announced at BlackBerry’s Ontario headquarters, outlines up to 180 billion Canadian dollars ($131.4 billion) in procurement opportunities over the next decade. This includes an additional 290 billion Canadian dollars ($211.8 billion) in associated capital investments and projects economic benefits of approximately 125 billion dollars ($91.2 billion) by 2035. The plan also aims to generate around 125,000 jobs, increase defense exports by 50 percent, and raise the share of contracts awarded to domestic firms to 70 percent. Operational readiness targets have been set at 75 percent for naval assets, 80 percent for land systems, and 85 percent for aerospace platforms.
