Mercier Lecture Spotlights Canada’s Dual-Use Technology
The Schulich School of Business, together with the Lassonde School of Engineering, hosted the twentieth edition of the Ernest C. Mercier Lecture in Entrepreneurial Science on October 1 with a focus on dual-use innovation. More than 200 attendees, including startup founders, investors, policymakers, and students, filled the Schulich auditorium for an evening of keynote insights and panel debate.
The lecture, titled “Exploring Dual-Use Technology for National Defence and Public Good,” opened with remarks from Dean Detlev Zwick of Schulich and Dean Jane Goodyer of Lassonde, who highlighted the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration.
“At Lassonde, we believe the biggest challenges of our time demand collaboration across disciplines. Engineers, scientists and business leaders must work together if we’re going to deliver solutions that make a difference in Canada and beyond,” said Dean Goodyer.
Dean Zwick underscored Schulich’s entrepreneurial strength: “Speaking on behalf of Schulich, we’re proud to be associated with this lecture because it highlights innovation and the commercialization of new technologies – exactly where Schulich thrives. Innovation and entrepreneurship are part of our DNA, and they’re increasingly central to what our students are striving for.”
The keynote was delivered by Rahul Goel, Founder and CEO of NordSpace, who is poised to make history with the launch of Canada’s first fully commercial rocket from Newfoundland and Labrador later this fall. As the countdown clock at NordSpace’s Atlantic Spaceport Complex ticks toward zero, his Taiga sub-orbital rocket – powered by a 3D-printed Hadfield engine designed and built entirely in Canada – marks not only a technological milestone but also a new era in Canadian spaceflight.
For Goel, the achievement represents the culmination of a journey that began more than a decade ago in a Schulich classroom. “When I was at Schulich, it gave me my first exposure to the world of entrepreneurship,” he said. “It added structure around this chaotic concept in my head where I’ve always been an engineer but also really excited about getting products in people’s hands.”
Goel emphasized that building Canadian space capabilities required more than technical knowledge—it demanded business acumen, resilience, and a commitment to solving meaningful problems. Rather than relying on conventional venture capital, he built PheedLoop, a profitable event management software company, and used its revenues to bootstrap NordSpace’s rocket development. “Being able to now scale that technology and build it in much larger, orbital-scale vehicles will be a massive benefit not just to Canada but to NordSpace,” he said.
Following the keynote, a panel debate examined how Canada can best leverage dual-use technology to serve both national defence and the public good. Matthew Lombardi, Co-founder of The Icebreaker and Instructor in Schulich’s MBA in Technology Leadership program, moderated the discussion with Mark Maybank, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity and former President and Chief Operating Officer of Canaccord Genuity; Burkard Eberlein, Professor of Strategic Management and Public Policy at the Schulich School of Business; and Sam Macdonald, Co-founder of Deep Trekker Inc. The discussion highlighted the need to balance national security priorities with innovation that benefits society at large.
The program concluded with a lively audience Q&A and closing remarks that reinforced Schulich and Lassonde’s role in convening thought leaders at the intersection of business, science, and society. Guests then moved into the CIBC Marketplace, where exhibits, live jazz, and networking extended the evening’s conversations in a more informal setting.
