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In a state-of-the art manufacturing space located in an industrial park outside of Toronto, Nanowave Technologies’ team of over 200 engineers, scientists and technicians are currently working on innovative solutions for some of the world’s top defence and aerospace platforms and companies.

Nanowave was founded in 1992 on a mission to provide high reliability, cutting-edge radio frequency solutions from a broad technology platform. Today, global corporations turn to Nanowave as a world-class designer and manufacturer of advanced microwave, millimeter-wave components and sub-systems.

One of those companies is Terma, Denmark’s largest defence and aerospace manufacturer.

Terma currently provides its SCANTER 6002 radar system to Lockheed Martin Canada, who was selected by Irving Shipbuilding Inc. to provide its Combat Management System (CMS 330) for the Royal Canadian Navy’s new fleet of Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) currently under construction at the Halifax Shipyard.

Terma’s unique know-how was required for AOPS, and Nanowave was selected as a research and development partner for Terma, who have historically done all innovation work in-house.

The partnership between Terma and Nanowave falls under Canada’s important Industrial and Regional Benefits (IRB) program. The IRB program ensures that 100% of the value of a significant defence contract is spent in Canada. Lockheed Martin Canada’s work with Denmark-based Terma is partially offset by Terma’s work with Nanowave.

Over the past 25 years, Nanowave has demonstrated a strong track record of reliability in supplying radar, satellite communications, and radio-astronomy equipment used on a variety of major aerospace and defence platforms. The company has put innovation at the core of everything it does. Over 80% of its engineering staff have post-graduate degrees and the company has forged long term research partnerships with some of the world’s top universities including Georgia Tech and the University of Oklahoma.

Nanowave’s President & CEO, Justin Miller states, “As a small Canadian company that competes against much larger international competitors, we have managed our company on the basis of differentiation through constantly investing in design and manufacturing excellence”. 

The engineering and manufacturing techniques developed to meet the requirements of Terma’s transmitter will help Nanowave push the envelope of innovation even further. This contract, which combines approximately $1 million in external funding for R&D and is matched by Nanowave’s internal R&D funding, will add approximately 15 highly-skilled personnel—more than half of which are women.

Nanowave’s partnership with Terma and Lockheed Martin Canada will also have a significant impact on the company’s global aspirations. 

“Entering into innovative partnerships and co-development projects with international defence companies, such as Terma and Lockheed Martin, is essential for local high-tech firms such as ours that rely almost exclusively on exports for success,” added Miller. “Our work as a result of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy allows us to develop unique solutions that we can bring to the international market and further support highly skilled jobs here in Canada.” 

The Halifax Shipyard’s work building the Royal Canadian Navy’s future fleet, as part of National Shipbuilding Strategy, is benefiting Canadians from coast to coast to coast. There is over $3.17 billion of forecast economic activity in Canada between 2013-2022 from the Halifax Shipyard’s facility modernization and AOPS construction.