As Canada continues to strengthen its defence capabilities and industrial resilience, two Canadian technology leaders are joining forces to explore how sovereign artificial intelligence can enhance military readiness, training, and operational effectiveness.
Calian Group Ltd. and Cohere announced a collaboration agreement focused on evaluating and integrating sovereign AI within defence environments. The initiative aims to apply secure, Canadian-developed enterprise AI solutions to improve decision-making speed, enhance training outcomes, and strengthen operational readiness for the Canadian military, allied forces, and small- to mid-sized enterprises through Calian VENTURES.
At the centre of the collaboration is Cohere’s secure agentic AI platform, North, which will be assessed within controlled defence environments. The companies will explore how sovereign AI can provide faster, higher-quality operational and training insights while supporting mission planning, decision support, training effectiveness, and operational workflows.
By combining Cohere’s enterprise-grade generative AI capabilities with Calian’s expertise in defence operational readiness and next-generation training, the partnership seeks to move beyond theoretical applications and examine how AI can be practically integrated into defence operations.
“Defence and security teams need AI they can trust, especially in sovereign, mission-critical defence environments,” said Dave Ferris, Vice President, Global Public Sector, Cohere. “Together, we’re pairing our industry-leading AI platform and models with Calian’s deep defence expertise to move beyond evaluation into real-world use, working through data sensitivity, scalability and adoption to enable defence forces to operate with greater operational clarity, precision and tempo.”
The collaboration also extends beyond large defence organizations. Through Calian VENTURES, Canadian SMEs and industry partners will gain opportunities to access and evaluate AI capabilities, helping accelerate innovation, support adoption, and strengthen Canada’s sovereign intellectual property and defence industrial base.
As demand grows across defence and government for secure, sovereign AI solutions, the initiative positions both companies to advance interoperable technologies designed to support Canadian defence priorities while contributing to allied readiness and long-term sovereign innovation.
“This collaboration reflects how trusted AI can be integrated into defence environments in a practical and scalable way,” said Chris Pogue, President, Defence and Space, Calian. “By combining Cohere’s best-in-class AI capabilities with Calian’s expertise in operational readiness training and mission support, we are helping organizations improve decision-making, accelerate learning and enhance preparedness for complex operational environments.”
The partnership highlights a growing focus on Canadian-developed AI technologies that can be deployed securely in mission-critical environments, reinforcing both national capability and industrial competitiveness as defence organizations increasingly look to artificial intelligence to support operational success.
