As global trade regulations shift and national security priorities evolve, Robotics and Physical AI have never been more vital to Canadian security and economic resilience. From new U.S. FCC mobile robotics restrictions to an action-packed lineup for our 5th Annual Symposium, here is your monthly digest of key milestones, member wins, and ecosystem insights from across the country.
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Highlights
📢5th Annual CRC Symposium Program is online
Explore Canada’s robotics ecosystem in action across three interactive programming tracks bringing together industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers:
High-level discussions on scaling physical AI, building a Canadian sovereign capital stack, and expanding sovereign defence capabilities ... Learn more
Rapid-fire presentation on remote stroke teleoperation, NATO uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) compliance, and construction robotics... Learn more
Briefing & Survey: Navigating New U.S. FCC Mobile Robotics Restrictions
On July 28th, the U.S. FCC updated its Covered List to restrict foreign-produced mobile robotics (including humanoids, quadrupeds, and AMRs) and connected power inverters.
CRC - U.S. FCC Foreign Robotics Ban Impact Assessment Poll
We are gathering input from leaders across Canada’s robotics ecosystem to help government officials and trade negotiators assess the impact of this U.S. ban.
Congratulations to Silver member TetraGen Robotics on their successful Seed financing led by StepChange Capital! This investment will accelerate the development and commercialization of their AI-powered autonomous welding tech—helping manufacturers solve skilled labor shortages while cutting deployment costs … read more
Brandon DeHart Named a Top Rising Engineering Talent Under 40 by Design Engineering
Brandon DeHart—Manager at Waterloo RoboHub, Adjunct Assistant Professor at UWaterloo ECE, and Head of Robotics at Real Life Robotics—was named to Design Engineering's "Geared for Success" feature. The program recognizes exceptional young engineers making a difference and driving future leadership in Canadian automation … read the full announcement
U of T Researchers Develop AI Model to Predict Wildfire Spread
Prof. Steven Waslander (UTIAS), alongside Natural Resources Canada and SFU, is developing TankerVision—an AI and computer vision initiative using aerial footage to forecast fire evolution hours in advance to support first responder safety and resource allocation … read more
Related Content: For more on wildfire combat tech, check out The Hub Podcast, where leading engineers and roboticists make the case for scaling autonomous drone technology to monitor and fight forest fires... Listen to the Podcast Episode
General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada Signs Strategic Partnership with Government of Canada to Advance Defence Industrial Strategy
On July 16, 2026, GDLS-Canada partnered with the Government of Canada under its Defence Industrial Strategy, securing a nearly $2 billion contract award to produce 190 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs) for the Canadian Armed Forces and 35 additional vehicles for Ukraine … read more
Is A&K Robotics’ Self-Driving Pod the Future of Airport Transit?
A&K CEO Matthew Anderson discusses how their autonomous "Cruz" mobility pods are solving indoor crowd navigation. Backed by a recent $8M Series A funding round, A&K is scaling operations across major international hubs—including Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Madrid-Barajas Airport (Aena) … read more
Member Spotlight: Meet Mahdi
Mahdi Tavakoli is a member of the CRC Research & Training Committee Members. He is also a Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Alberta, a Senior U of A Engineering Research Chair in Healthcare Robotics and Co-Director of the Mechatronics & Robotics Co-op Engineering Program … read more
Are you a Canadian company, researcher, technology developer, or innovator looking to expand into international markets, build strategic partnerships, and access collaborative R&D funding?
The Head of Strategy and Business Development plays a central role in shaping CENGN’s strategic direction and driving its evolution, accelerating commercialization and technology adoption for Canada’s innovation economy.
Call for Expert Contributions: Research Paper on Autonomous Systems and Canada's Next Strategic Technology Platform
The Canadian Cybersecurity Network (CCN) is preparing a research paper examining how autonomous systems are evolving into one of Canada's most important dual use technology opportunities.While drones are the most visible example today, the research will explore the broader convergence of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, robotics, communications, sensors, and digital trust.
Objective: Identifying the strategic implications for Canadian business, government, researchers, investors, and policymakers, and to better understand where Canada has the greatest opportunity to lead.
Seeking expert perspectives on questions such as:
Where can Canada build globally competitive capabilities in autonomous systems?
Which industries are likely to be transformed first?
What role will cybersecurity and digital trust play in enabling safe adoption?
How should Canada approach dual use technologies that support both commercial innovation and national resilience?
Where are the greatest opportunities, risks, and capability gaps over the next decade?
Brief written comments, insights, or recommendations are all welcomed. Contributions do not need to answer every question. Perspectives based on research, industry experience, policy, or operational expertise are all encouraged.
Selected insights may be incorporated into the research paper with appropriate attribution. The project will also include an abridged article for the Financial Post, along with a more detailed research brief published through the CCN Intelligence Library.
Call for Contributions: The Robotics & Intelligent Systems Expo (RISEx 2026) November 12–13, 2026 University of Alberta | Edmonton, Canada
RISEx brings together the robotics and AI communities across academia, industry, government, and the broader innovation ecosystem. This conference welcomes contributions spanning the foundations and applications of robotics and intelligent systems, including automation, mobility and logistics, human-centered and life-like robotics, health and medical robotics, robot learning, robot vision, motion planning and control, ethics, and the societal impacts of intelligent robotic systems.
Single-page archival paper submissions showcasing ongoing research in robotics and AI. Accepted submissions will be selected for poster or oral presentation.
Submission deadline: September 4, 2026, 11:59 PM UTC
Accepting proposals for workshops and tutorials that provide attendees with opportunities for knowledge sharing, hands-on learning, demonstrations, lab-based activities, and discussion around emerging robotics, AI, and intelligent systems topics.
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