Tested. Trusted. Thales.

Advancing Canada's Critical Missions

Thales is a global leader in advanced technologies, engineering mission-critical products and services for our customers in defence and security, public safety, law enforcement, border protection, civil aviation, cybersecurity and more.

Our growing team of 1,500 employees in Canada work across 13 locations in 5 provinces, bringing together the technology and expertise needed to address some of the world's most complex security, safety, and operational challenges.

Investing in Canadian potential

Thales is strengthening Canada's industrial and technological capabilities through our highly skilled workforce, sustained regional investment, and long-term economic partnerships.

In addition to a rapidly expanding workforce, Thales is proud to be directly contributing to the growth of Canada’s defence industrial base with an activated supply chain of more than 350 suppliers across eight provinces. Nearly 50% of our suppliers are small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and over 70% are multi-year suppliers, reflecting our commitment to stable, long-term relationships and high-quality Canadian jobs.

Canadian research. Global impact.

Our infrastructure and partnerships drive our impact. A Canadian Top 100 leader in research and development, Thales has more than 50 years of experience driving innovation across the aerospace, defence, and cyber & digital sectors in Canada. With more than $51M invested in Canadian R&D in 2025 and 55+ research partnerships nationwide – with organizations including the National Research Council, Defence Research and Development Canada and Mitacs – Thales is helping to define defence’s next frontier.

In 2017, Canada became home to cortAIx, a global Thales AI Centre of Excellence dedicated to advancing the development of trusted AI-based systems for critical civil and defence environments. Since 2017, Thales has invested over $100M in AI R&D through our cortAIx facilities in Montreal and Quebec City. Canada is also home to the Thales National Digital Excellence Centre (NDEC) – one of two globally. Located at the Knowledge Park Cyber Centre in Fredericton, the NDEC is a secure, dual-use facility, fit for purpose for co-development alongside industry partners, academia, and Canada’s defence and security community. 

Thales actively collaborates with start-ups and SMBs to accelerate the development of new technologies and help bring emerging solutions to market faster. The SYNERGY and Trust My Tech programs are dedicated to accelerating the commercialization of advanced military technologies from Canadian start-ups and SMBs, integrating these capabilities into our delivery in Canada and across Thales Group markets worldwide. Thales also partners with COVE in a naval technology innovation challenge program designed to support start-ups and SMEs in developing new capabilities for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).

Canadian technology protecting Canadian forces

Our advanced optronics solutions enable Canadian forces to see, decide and act faster. From hand-held thermal imagers to lightweight weapon sights and night vision goggles, NATO forces – including Canada – rely on Thales soldier optronics to see without being seen and keep front-line soldiers safe and in constant contact with the command chain and other units in the field. As part of the Night Vision Systems Modernization (NVSM) program, the Thales Sophie Ultima Handheld Thermal Imager is equipping the Canadian Armed Forces with technology proven to excel in complex and challenging operational environments.

Our newly expanded Electro-Optic Centre of Excellence in Montreal is the only facility in Canada dedicated to both soldier and vehicle optronics manufacturing. It specializes in the production of infrared imagers for targeting, driver vision enhancement cameras, and 360-degree situational awareness systems that land forces around the world rely on to complete their missions safely and effectively.