QNX, a subsidiary of BlackBerry Limited, has entered into a partnership with thyssenkrupp Marine Systems to deliver embedded software capabilities for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. Initiated in 2021, the program is designed to build as many as 12 new submarines to succeed Canada’s Victoria-class submarine, which has been operational for decades.
Under the agreement, QNX will deploy its proprietary General Embedded Development Platform as the submarines’ real-time operating system. The software, positioned as a secure and reliable digital backbone, is expected to strengthen cybersecurity defenses while enabling interoperability with partner navies.
According to QNX, the collaboration underscores growing industrial and defense ties between Canada and Germany, while supporting Canada’s evolving Defence Industrial Strategy focused on innovation exports and international cooperation.
The updated strategy, introduced recently in Ontario, identifies up to 180 billion Canadian dollars ($131.4 billion) in defense procurement opportunities over the next 10 years. It is complemented by 290 billion Canadian dollars ($211.8 billion) in broader capital investments and is projected to deliver economic gains of roughly 125 billion dollars ($91.2 billion) by 2035. Additional goals include creating 125,000 jobs, boosting defense exports by 50 percent, and increasing domestic industry participation in contracts to 70 percent. The policy further sets readiness benchmarks of 75 percent for maritime forces, 80 percent for land systems, and 85 percent for air platforms.
