NanoXplore (TSX:GRA) has been selected as a qualified supplier under Stream 5 (Innovation and Experimentation) of the Government of Canada’s Defence Drone Initiative (DDI) marketplace.
The qualification covers Nanoxplore’s graphene-enhanced composite components as well as the graphene-enhanced lithium-ion battery cells produced by VoltaXplore.
The DDI qualification establishes Nanoxplore and VoltaXplore within the government’s prequalified supplier pool, enabling participation in upcoming procurement opportunities for uncrewed and autonomous systems supporting the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian Coast Guard.
President and CEO Rocco Marinaccio says the qualification recognises “the vital role that advanced Canadian materials and battery cells can play in uncrewed and autonomous systems”.
“Through Nanoxplore’s graphene-enhanced composites and VoltaXplore’s graphene-enhanced lithium-ion 21700 cells, we are positioned to domestically produce lightweight structural components and high performance battery cells as part of Canada’s sovereign defence supply chain,” Marinaccio says.
The DDI was launched in July 2026 by the Department of National Defence and the Defence Investment Agency to accelerate the development, testing, and production of domestic uncrewed and autonomous systems.
The establishment of the DDI marketplace comes as Canada advances a planned investment of approximately US$180 billion ($253 billion) in direct defence procurement over the next decade. The government has designated uncrewed and autonomous systems as one of 10 sovereign capability priorities under its Defence Industrial Strategy.
Nanoxplore is a Canadian advanced materials company and the world’s largest manufacturer of high-volume graphene powder, with up to 5,000 tonnes of annual production capacity serving industrial, energy storage, and defence markets.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: NanoXplore
