France and Canada to develop shared space infrastructure

French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans on September 20, 2026, to deepen cooperation in space, defence and emerging technologies. The two leaders met in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon during the first official visit by a Canadian Prime Minister to the French archipelago.

Macron and Carney directed their respective space agencies, defence ministries and industries to develop and share space infrastructure. Cooperation could include launch systems as well as ground reception and control infrastructure. The two countries also intend to foster closer ties between Canadian, French and European industries.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen ties between Canada and the European Union around complementary strategic capabilities. France and Canada also agreed to deepen cooperation in defence, aerospace, energy security and resilience.

Artificial intelligence is another area targeted for closer cooperation. Macron and Carney stressed the need for France and Canada, which they described as leading nations in AI, to work together, with Ottawa highlighting its ambition to support the responsible development of emerging technologies.