Matthew Lombardi from The Icebreaker

29/08/2025 40 min

Listen "Matthew Lombardi from The Icebreaker"

Episode Synopsis

Matthew Lombardi co-founded The Icebreaker with Jeff Waite and Michael Edwards.The Icebreaker is Canada's defence innovation network, trusted by founders and funders, operators and professionals at DND and the CAF, defence primes, IDEaS, NATO DIANA, and everywhere decisions are made to defend the nation.Their mission: to make Canada a net exporter of defence technology by 2030.The Icebreak LinksThe Icebreaker Hackathon on September 20.Hundreds of Canadian companies making ‘dual use’ products useful for defence, survey finds - The Globe and MailChapters00:00 The Genesis of The Icebreaker and Canadian Defence Tech05:35 Urgency for Change in Defence Strategy08:09 Cultural Shifts in Defence Innovation10:54 The Role of Technology in Defence and Civilian Life13:32 Building a Community in Defence Tech16:27 Spotlighting Canadian Innovators19:09 Infrastructure Needs for Defence Innovation21:52 Procurement and the Future of Defence24:28 The Arctic: A New Frontier for National Security27:25 National Pride and the Defence Tech Movement30:12 Opportunities for New Talent in Defence Tech