Federal funding announced at the end of March will help University of Victoria researchers build Western Canada's space industry infrastructure and develop autonomous systems for assessing natural disaster risks. The $5.43-million investment from PacifiCan supports two separate projects that bridge civilian and defence applications.

The larger chunk—$4 million—goes to Afzal Suleman's Centre for Aerospace Research to create a regional hub where companies can test satellites and access ground stations without building their own infrastructure.