I’m not prone to hyperbole, so I feel a little uncomfortable in saying the world is going to hell in a handbasket – but some truths are uncomfortable.
The evidence is everywhere you look. Climate change, digital and economic warfare, environmental degradation, all-out war and mass destruction… These and many other types of events are happening all over the world, including here in Canada with devastating impact. The costs are mounting steadily.
Human beings are the primary cause of many of these events, which means on a global basis they are largely preventable. To the extent that they aren’t, however, Canadians are fortunate to have a relatively stable government and economy, but there needs to be greater accountability and collaboration across the board especially with respect to both government and industry.
This points to the need for an industrial strategy and greater trust between government, NGOs, and industry if Canadians are going to pull together successfully to confront the threats we face.
It is somewhat reassuring, therefore, that governments at all levels in Canada now appear to recognize this need and are taking steps with the intent to coalesce and leverage capabilities around centres of knowledge and expertise to optimize outcomes for the benefit of all Canadians.
CounterCrisis Tech has benefited from Canadian federal government support, which has enabled us to address key technological capability gaps regarding emergency preparedness, collaboration, coordination, information sharing and interoperability among government agencies, NGOs and indigenous groups. As a result, it is now possible to address key threats such as wildfires and floods, border security, and northern sovereignty in a much more coordinated and effective manner using advanced made-in-Canada technology.
At a time of increasing frequency, severity, and type of hazardous incidents, technology can play a critical force-multiplying role in helping all Canadians pull together to better manage the numerous challenges we face. We’re moving in the right direction. Let’s keep the momentum going! Stay safe!