The Government of Canada has confirmed $200m worth of funding for the strategic aerospace and defence initiative (SADI) and announced repayable investments in two Canadian aerospace and defence companies through the SADI programme.

The SADI supports strategic industrial research and pre-competitive development projects in the aerospace, defence, space and security (A&D) industries.

The initiative aims at building Canadian space and security technologies and supporting innovative companies to play vital roles in the growing earth observation and maritime security markets.

The SADI also encourages innovation, competitiveness of Canadian aerospace and defence firms and fosters collaboration among research institutes, universities, colleges and the private sector.

The government has also provided a combined repayable investment of $9.4m to PCI Geomatics Group and AXYS Technologies for research on next-generation earth observation technologies and data source interface creation for Canadian maritime security.

SADI is a special operating agency of the industry in Canada that supports strategic industrial research and pre-competitive development projects in the aerospace, defence, space and security industries.

The new funding announced for SADI will be spread over four years beginning with 2010.