OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada, seeking tighter ties with the European Union, will boost its investment in European Space Agency programs by C$528.5 million ($377.96 million), a tenfold increase compared to previous contributions, a top cabinet member said on Tuesday.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who won an April election on the back of a promise to diversify the economy in the face of U.S. tariffs, is pressing for tighter defense and security relations with the EU.
The money will be spent over a three to five year period. In a statement, Industry Minister Melanie Joly said the investment would advance research and development of Canadian-made space technologies for both civilian and defense purposes.
These include satellite communications, Earth observation, space exploration, positioning, navigation and timing, and space situational awareness, she said.
($1 = 1.3983 Canadian dollars)
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Chris Reese)