January 27, 2025 (Waterloo, Canada) — The global threat landscape is growing increasingly complex, with hostile states using every instrument of national power — diplomatic, informational, military and economic (DIME) — to target allied governments, industries, research institutions and civic organizations. Through aggressive, illegal and illicit tactics, these states aim to destabilize the global order, create and exploit economic vulnerabilities, and acquire the foreign assets and technologies critical to modern military power.
Canada is not immune to these challenges. Rich in the natural resources and technological know-how that fuel economic and military power, deeply interconnected with the United States on all key elements of its own national power, and a long-standing member of both NATO and the Five Eyes, Canada is under pressure from allies and adversaries alike. In this complex threat environment, Canada needs an ambitious strategy to defend its national interests, with Canadian businesses and industries playing a vital role in safeguarding the economic resilience that underpins our national defence. In response, CIGI has launched the Canada at Economic War project, co-led by Raquel Garbers, a visiting executive from the Department of National Defence, and Aaron Shull, CIGI’s managing director and general counsel. The project will unite experts from diverse sectors to drive discussions on safeguarding Canada and identifying the essential components of a Canadian Defence Industrial Strategy (CDIS) that addresses the complexities of today’s evolving threat environment.
“Defence and security officials in Canada and abroad, industry and innovation representatives, venture capitalists, military strategists and geopolitical analysts are among the many experts with whom we will engage on how best to defend Canada in today’s economic war,” said Garbers. “Through this project, we hope to stir similar conversations among other stakeholders, including academia, governments and citizens. All Canadians have an obligation to defend their country,” she said.
Welcoming Raquel Garbers as the co-lead of the initiative, Aaron Shull highlights the interdependence between Canada’s economic strength, and national security and defence, a key area of interest for CIGI.
“Raquel brings a wealth of expertise in defence and national security policy and strategic thinking. Marrying Raquel’s extensive knowledge with CIGI’s work in these areas, we want to bring to the fore the less talked about yet pressing challenge of tackling the economic threats that Canada is facing. It is important to understand that if Canada’s economic strength wanes, our industrial power will take a hit, and without industrial power there can be no military power. Canadian business and industry are fundamental pillars of national security and defence,” said Shull.
CIGI’s project will include a series of policy briefs designed to establish the analytical foundation for a Canadian Defence Industrial Strategy (CDIS), grounded in the understanding that Canada is already actively engaged in economic warfare. The CDIS initiative will be built around three key pillars: Build, Protect and Compete. Through this work, CIGI seeks to inspire partners to initiate similar discussions within their own networks, reinforcing the idea that the responsibility to defend Canada rests with all Canadians.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Libza Mannan
Communications Advisor
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 519-885-2444 ext. 7497
About CIGI
The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is an independent, non-partisan think tank committed to innovative policy making at the intersection of technology and international governance. Headquartered in Waterloo, Canada, CIGI has a global network of multidisciplinary researchers and strategic partnerships providing expert research and objective analysis with one goal in mind: to improve people’s lives everywhere. For more information, please visit www.cigionline.org.
