Building in Canada’s Evolving Defence Landscape: Digital Aviation, Cybersecurity, and Trust

What does it actually take to build in Canada’s evolving defence landscape?

In this episode of Wired for Change, Amy Yee sits down with Chris Bartlett, President of CCX Technologies, for a grounded conversation on what it looks like to operate and grow inside one of the most complex and high-stakes environments — where aviation, cybersecurity, and national defence intersect.

From the realities of defence procurement for Canadian small and mid-sized companies, to the shift toward sovereign capability and ecosystem-based delivery models, Chris shares an insider perspective on what’s changing — and where opportunity is emerging.

The conversation also explores how modern aircraft have evolved into highly digital, interconnected systems, and what that means for risk, resilience, and security. Along the way, we unpack common misconceptions about cybersecurity in aviation, and where the real vulnerabilities tend to exist.

This episode is less about theory — and more about what it actually takes to build, adapt, and deliver inside complex systems that can’t afford to fail.

In this episode:

• Building inside Canada’s defence ecosystem as an SME
• The realities of defence procurement — and where gaps still exist
• Canada’s evolving Defence Industrial Strategy and sovereign capability
• Why partnerships and ecosystem models are becoming essential
• The evolution of aircraft into “flying computers”
• Cyber risk in aviation: separating Hollywood from reality
• The role of supply chain and maintenance environments in security
• Designing systems for resilience in mission-critical environments

About the Guest:

Chris Bartlett is the President of CCX Technologies, a Canadian company working at the intersection of avionics, cybersecurity, and defence. With deep expertise in aircraft systems and secure communications, CCX supports mission-critical environments where reliability, resilience, and trust are non-negotiable.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro: Building in complex systems
02:00 – Chris Bartlett’s journey into aerospace and defence
05:30 – What CCX Technologies does and where it fits
09:00 – Canada’s changing defence landscape
13:30 – Sovereign capability and opportunity for SMEs
18:00 – Procurement realities vs intent
22:00 – Innovation and partnerships in defence
26:00 – From aircraft to “flying computers”
30:00 – Cyber risk: Hollywood vs reality
34:00 – Safety, regulation, and speed of technology
37:00 – Designing resilient systems
40:00 – Lessons for other industries and closing reflections