About this episode

Paul Ziadé discusses Canada's defense complacency and the need for innovation in missile systems.

In this episode of Tank Talks, host Matt Cohen sits down with Paul Ziadé, CEO and co-founder of North Vector Dynamics, a Calgary-based company building full-spectrum precision missile systems for Canada and its allies. A former tenured professor at the University of Calgary turned defence entrepreneur, Paul brings a deeply personal and historically literate perspective to the Canadian defence landscape. He shares his family’s story of displacement from Lebanon and Armenia, and how that legacy of resilience informs his mission to build a sovereign missile capability for Canada. Paul offers a frank assessment of Canada’s defence complacency, arguing that the culture of risk-aversion is “upstream of everything.” He explains why the obsession with “dual-use” investing is holding the country back, why pure-play defence innovation is critical, and how startups like his can deliver capability faster than the traditional 10-year procurement cycle. He also breaks down the massive opportunity presented by the Golden Dome NORAD modernization and why Canada must participate not just as a buyer, but as an active builder. Whether you’re a defence founder navigating the Canadian ecosystem, an…

People in this episode

Host: Matt Cohen

Guest: Paul Ziadé

Topics covered

• defense innovation
• Canadian defense landscape
• risk aversion
• missile systems
• entrepreneurship
• investment opportunities

Keywords

• defense
• Canada
• North Vector Dynamics
• missile systems
• entrepreneurship
• risk aversion
• NORAD
• investment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: North Vector Dynamics

Places: Canada, Calgary, Lebanon, Armenia

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