The federal government has unveiled a list of “sensitive technologies,” identifying a range of novel technologies critical to national security. This follows earlier efforts to label foreign research institutions—mainly from China—that pose risks to Canadian research partnerships.
On Feb. 6, Public Safety Canada released the Sensitive Technology List (STL), identifying 11 broad areas covering a wide range of technologies deemed sensitive to national security. These include 5G networks, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity technologies, advanced weapons, energy technologies like nuclear generation, aerospace, space and satellite technology, quantum science, human-machine integration, and life sciences.
“Sensitive technology” in the STL is defined as emerging technologies or those with new applications or capabilities that could threaten Canadian national security by boosting a foreign adversary’s military or intelligence capabilities. This includes dual-use technologies that serve both civilian and military purposes.
The release of the STL aims to inform and protect Canadian research and innovation from foreign actors seeking to undermine the country’s national security and defence through the “unwanted transfer” of technologies, according to Public Safety Canada.
“As economic-based threats to our national security become more sophisticated, we need to ensure that our ability to address them continues to evolve,” Public Safety Minister David McGuinty said in a Feb. 6 press release.
The House of Commons Canada-China committee recently urged Ottawa to halt research collaborations with China in sensitive sectors. This recommendation was part of the committee’s November report on its study of events at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, where two scientists were fired in 2021 for security breaches and undisclosed links to the Chinese regime and military.
Guideline
While the STL provides more detail on sensitive technologies, it does not replace existing frameworks like the Sensitive Technology Research Areas (STRA), released in January 2024. The STRA serves as a guideline for Canadian universities and research institutes seeking government funding.
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As part of the STRA, the government released a “Named Research Organizations“ list identifying over 100 foreign institutions—85 from China—that pose the highest risk to Canada’s national security due to their connections with foreign military, defence, or state security entities. Canadian research institutions will not receive government funding for partnering with these named organizations on sensitive technology areas that pose a national security risk.
The Chinese entities on the Named Research Organizations list include those recognized as China’s “Seven Sons of National Defence” due to their close links to the Chinese military apparatus, as well as others allegedly associated with state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting in China.
The release of these lists does not prevent collaborations between individual professors in Canada and China, as many ongoing research partnerships and academic exchanges involve leading Canadian universities, such as the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, University of British Columbia, and McGill University.
In the Feb. 6 press release, the public safety department said Canadian research institutions seeking federal funding should continue to use STRA as their guideline.
