iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 13/10/2026

Report Card on The Ontario Municipal Employees' Retirement System. Similar to many of its Maple 8 peers, OMERS presents lofty rhetoric about investing in Canada. In reality the share of capital they invest at home has been steadily declining. Read: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/reports/mapl...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 05/10/2026

Compared to Global Peers, Canadian Pensions Invest Way Less At Home New analysis from Michael Sarbanis. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/comp...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 29/09/2026

We're publishing deep-dive analysis of each Maple 8 pension plan over the next few weeks — looking at how much they invest in Canada, and what kind of assets they're buying. First up: The biggest pension fund in Canada. Read our report card here: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/cppib-report...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 24/09/2026

Is it too much to ask for Canada's biggest pension funds to invest 3 per cent of assets in real Canadian growth? We don't think so. Today we're publishing a policy paper delving into how our biggest pension funds are actually investing our money. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/reports/wort...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 23/09/2026

CPPIB made big announcements for the Canada Investment Summit. A new fund targeting Canada. But the big picture here is that CPP’s investments in Canada have been falling for decades.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 22/09/2026

Canada consistently outranks peers in foreign investment. In 2025, Canada's inward FDI stock exceeded our GDP. With a consistent increase in FDI, why is Canada not prospering? We need to consider how FDI can produce productive growth.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 21/09/2026

Foreign direct investment is transitioning, away from greenfield and towards mergers and acquisitions (M&A). M&A isn’t always bad, but can be an extractive tool of foreign investors to buy up Canadian companies to capture valuable IP or eliminate an up-and-coming competitor.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 17/09/2026

If Canada is looking to deepen ties with the EU, does that mean that the France and Germany bars will go up?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 17/09/2026

Two-thirds of Canada’s inward FDI comes from just 5 countries. The U.S. alone holds 51%, with the U.K. in a distant second place (7%). Prime Minister Carney brought investors from around the world to Toronto, but what is our strategy for diversification?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 16/09/2026

Canada ranks #2 among advanced economies for foreign ownership(21% of the economy). The risk isn’t the total, it’s concentration in strategic sectors. Motor vehicles: 100% foreign ownership. Chemicals: 74%. IT services: 52%. Canada is chasing more FDI. Do we have a strategy?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 14/09/2026

As Canada is courting a trillion dollars in new investment, Shield's Matthew da Mota asks whether we are ready to screen all of that foreign capital for national security concerns. Read the full op-ed here: financialpost.com/news/economy...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 14/09/2026

Not all investment is good for the Canadian economy. As a country, we need to update our thinking about FDI to account for the realities of the 21st century economy. Here's a roadmap for how to update our policy approach: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/reports/the-...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 10/09/2026

Canada doesn't need more foreign direct investment. We need a better strategy for investment that drives real growth in the 21st century economy. Today we're publishing a new report looking at how investment has changed, and how Canada should adapt: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/reports/the-...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 09/09/2026

Ottawa wants $1 trillion in new investment for Canadian major projects – but investors want a say in governance. Shield’s Matt da Mota said that "Governance is really the key,” and that Ottawa should set rules on investment that preserve sovereignty and autonomy.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 09/09/2026

Canada significantly outpaces countries like the UK, Australia, the USA and Germany on foreign direct investment as a share of GDP. As Ottawa pushes to attract FDI, we're asking: What kind of investment actually drives real economic growth?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 08/09/2026

Over the next few weeks, we're going to have a lot to say about capital investment, FDI and smart growth policy. To get all of our major policy releases and updates, sign up for the Canadian Shield Institute newsletter, The National Interest: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/newsletter

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 08/09/2026

If you follow the news about Prime Minister Carney's investment summit, you might think we are starved for investment capital as a country. So here’s the basic question: What does it mean that Canada’s stock of foreign direct investment has grown more than 5x since 2000?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 27/08/2026

Shield Managing Director @VassB was on CBC Front Burner talking about the U.S. trade war, and how the Americans feel as though any impediment to tech companies operating freely in Canada is a trade barrier now. Listen here: www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-p...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 24/08/2026

One of the key industries for the trade war is auto manufacturing. Just a few weeks ago, we did a dive into the automotive value chains. It's a sector with near total foreign ownership, where Canada is a branch plant for manufacturing and R&D. More here: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/cana...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 10/08/2026

Hanon Systems gets a 4/10, because it doesn't even contribute very much to enhance the Canadian supply chain. Full analysis from the Canadian Shield Institute team here: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/sovereignty-...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 10/08/2026

Volta Energy Solutions gets a 5/10, because it creates jobs and bolsters the supply chain for a key component in EV manufacturing. But it does very little for homegrown Canadian economic resilience. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/sovereignty-...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 10/08/2026

An ongoing project of the The Canadian Shield Institute is our "Sovereignty Score" framework. We think about sovereignty through ten different factors involving economic prosperity, national security, and governance. 1/ canadianshieldinstitute.ca/the-sovereig...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 07/08/2026

This week the federal government announced a $10 million investment to fund a manufacturing facility for electric compressors for EVs. The project will employ 300 people. Is this good for Canadian sovereignty and economic prosperity? Read our analysis: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/sovereignty-...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 06/08/2026

The Government of Canada is providing up to $70 million to Volta Energy Solutions Canada Inc. to upgrade and expand its copper foil manufacturing operations in Canada. On our Sovereignty Score assessment, we scored it a 5/10. Read the full analysis here: canadianshieldinstitute.ca/sovereignty-...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 27/07/2026

Subscribe to our newsletter! Each week we send out thoughtful policy critiques, trend analysis and economic insights about Canada's national sovereignty. Also, new Canadian music. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/newsletter

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 02/07/2026

This is what we're up against. It started before Trump took office, but the MAGA administration is doing a lot to reorient the global economy, and it's hitting Canada. The question is: Are Canadian leaders responding with the same kind of energy? Do we have a plan?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 01/07/2026

🇨🇦 Happy Canada Day!!! 🇨🇦 Canada is a great country, but we also need to work to keep Canada strong, sovereign, resilient and prosperous. We're exploring these ideas in a collab with the Gloves Off podcast this summer! canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/glov...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 04/06/2026

When our policy team combed through the AI strategy, we were left with a lot of questions about implementation. We are eager to see the text of the government's data privacy legislation, and we will do a separate Sovereignty Score when the bill is presented in Parliament.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 04/06/2026

The "AI For All" strategy delivered today by Prime Minister Carney and Minister Solomon this morning gets a 6/10 on our Sovereignty Score. This much-anticipated document presents ambitious targets for AI adoption, infrastructure, and governance. But the devil is in the details.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 03/06/2026

Today we're publishing Chapter 5 of our policy series on digital sovereignty. This week we're looking at cloud security, and the way that foreign powers can interfere with Canadian data. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/latest-updat...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 11/05/2026

Digital sovereignty isn't about where the servers are located. It's about who actually governs the platforms, the intangible assets, and the digital economy. Read more in Chapter 1 of "Foundations of Digital Sovereignty" canadianshieldinstitute.ca/latest-updat...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 11/05/2026

Shield Chief Economist Kaylie Tiessen was on CBC Ideas talking about how to define prosperity. This wide-ranging conversation is worth a listen, as three smart leaders explore what the government should be doing to improve Canadian quality of life. www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 09/04/2026

On @therundowntvo.bsky.social, Shield Chief Economist Kaylie Tiessen is talking about Canadian governments' efforts to build a more resilient country, and how we assess policies using a "Sovereignty Score" framework. Watch the episode here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpxm...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 23/03/2026

What does it mean that Manitoba is banning algorithmic pricing? Shield Managing Director @vassb.bsky.social spoke to @cstarnino.bsky.social at The Walrus to get into why this is a big deal for consumers, and a big deal for how we govern the digital realm. thewalrus.ca/manitoba-mov...

The use of pricing algorithms isn’t new.
What’s newer is just how much personal data
and information these companies are able
to access, and advancements in AI and
machine learning have made it possible
to extract and analyze it at massive scales.

Vass Bednar, Managing Director, Canadian Shield Institute

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 18/03/2026

Today, Ottawa announced a $1.4B decision to buy ammunition, with the majority of the funding going to an American defence giant. We assessed the policy through our Sovereignty Score framework, and it's a 3/10. Does not strengthen Canadian sovereignty. Gov't release: www.canada.ca/en/departmen...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 13/03/2026

In this week's Shield newsletter, we're talking about the Sovereignty Score — a repeatable framework for assessing policies on the basis of how they strengthen Canada. It's nuanced, but we think these 10 attributes are what really matter. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/latest-updat...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 12/03/2026

"As U.S. state and Big Tech become one, we become digital serfs, and it sucks" By Canadian Shield Institute Managing Director @vassb.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 09/03/2026

ATTENTION WONKS: Today we're updating the methodology for the Sovereignty Score. Launched in October 2025, the Sovereignty Score a repeatable framework for evaluating public policy, to determine whether government's policies strengthen or weaken Canada's capacity for self-determination. 1/

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 06/03/2026

Is "Lockheed Martin Canada" an authentically Canadian company? It's fully controlled by an American parent. In this week's newsletter, we look into the government's procurement database, to figure out whether notionally Canadian firms are legit. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/latest-updat...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 05/03/2026

Canadian Shield Institute Managing Director @vassb.bsky.social was on stage in Waterloo, talking with ThinkOn CEO Craig McLellan and Mozilla Foundation President Mark Surman. Digital sovereignty is vital for Canada's future. Watch the whole discussion here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLxJ...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 27/02/2026

What does it mean to be a genuinely Canadian company? If we're going to try to Buy Canadian, we should have a real definition. Today we're putting out a draft version, to get some feedback. How does this look to you?

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 26/02/2026

Shield has been thinking a lot about what makes for an authentically Canadian company. We’ve been working on a definition, and we’re hoping to get feedback from people in our network. Read the write-up in this week’s National Interest newsletter. Sign up here: app.cyberimpact.com/clients/5817...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 26/02/2026

The Canadian Shield Institute policy team took a close look at government's Buy Canadian policy. Overall, the policy is a good step towards strengthening Canadian sovereignty, but there are some ways that it could be more rigorous. Full analysis here: img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/e3...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 21/02/2026

Did you know canola oil first started as a lubricant for wartime engines? This is an example of dual-use. Dual-use innovation shows why Canada must approach defence investments strategically and ensure the economic value they create is captured at home. tinyurl.com/yck84n54

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 20/02/2026

Dual use technology is the idea that important innovations have both military and civilian applications. But it only works if Canada captures the value. As we implement our Defence Industrial Strategy, will Canada secure the returns? app.cyberimpact.com/newsletter-v...

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 17/02/2026

Overall, our first pass on the Defence Industrial Strategy is that the policy gets an 8/10, and it looks like the government is saying the right things on economic strategy. Ultimately, the implementation will be what matters, though. We'll be tracking this strategy in the months and years ahed.

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 17/02/2026

Last category: Does the policy enhance affordability and quality of life for consumers? Not really. But that's not what we'd expect from a defence economic strategy. Most policies won't hit every single item on our scorecard, and that's ok. 12/

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 17/02/2026

At Shield we also look at who's benefitting from government policy. Is it just large incumbents, or are the economic benefits shared broadly? Based on our initial analysis, it looks like the DIS aims at making sure that a lot of communities and businesses are lifted up by defence spending. 11/

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 17/02/2026

Based on our scoring framework, the DIS also gets points for increasing skills utilization. It's not just about creating jobs, but about ensuring that Canadians are doing high-value work. 10/

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The Canadian Shield Institute @canadianshieldinstitute.ca · 17/02/2026

What about jobs? Yes, the DIS is intended to create a lot of skilled jobs in the Canadian defence technology sector. This is a lot better than just buying kit from foreign vendors. 9/

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