Built to Field, Built to Produce 

AUSA 2026 brings together defense leaders, integrators, technology providers, and program teams working to move autonomous systems and Edge AI from experimentation into operational use. 

Connect Tech (CTI) brings hardware engineering, rugged system design, defense compliance experience, and North American manufacturing into the same program. CTai LABS adds the AI engineering, software development, model optimization, and integration expertise needed for Physical AI deployment. 

Defense deployment requires trusted sourcing, rugged operation, local processing, controlled integration, and repeatable production. 

Meet Connect Tech at AUSA 2026, Booth 953, October 12-14 in Washington, D.C. 

Engineering for Scale

For defense programs, moving Edge AI into production means accounting for ruggedization, sourcing, compliance, testing, manufacturing consistency, and long-term support from Connect Tech. CTI combines in-house engineering, rugged system design, compliance experience, and North American manufacturing to support development through deployment. 

Connect Tech has spent more than 40 years designing and manufacturing computing technology in-house, giving aerospace and defense programs direct access to engineering, production, and compliance expertise within the same organization.  

Fielding also brings environmental qualification, controlled software baselines, supply-chain scrutiny, configuration management, and long-term availability into the engineering process. 

Production Is Part of the Defense Architecture 

Connect Tech keeps engineering and manufacturing within the same organization at its Guelph, Ontario facility. The manufacturing operation includes high-speed SMT, selective soldering, automated optical inspection, X-ray inspection, and environmental test capability for PCB and system production. Connect Tech is ISO 9001:2015 certified. 

Manufacturing constraints, component availability, test strategy, configuration control, and lifecycle planning need to influence the design before production begins. 

Close coordination between engineering, manufacturing, and test allows production feedback to reach the design team earlier and lets proposed changes be evaluated before they reach the line. 

Supply-Chain Trust Requirements for Defense Programs 

Defense procurement in the U.S., Canada, and other allied markets increasingly scrutinizes country of origin, component sourcing, cybersecurity, and technology provenance. In July 2026, the Federal Communications Commission added foreign-produced advanced robotic devices to its Covered List following a U.S. national security determination focused on supply-chain and cybersecurity risk. The action applies to defined complete mobile robotic devices and restricts new covered models from receiving FCC equipment authorization unless an applicable approval or exemption is obtained. 

The FCC action is one example of the broader emphasis on trusted sourcing, secure technology, and supply-chain visibility across defense programs in the U.S., Canada, and allied markets. 

Connect Tech maintains compliance and certification programs relevant to defense customers across multiple markets. Its Commercial Off-The-Shelf products are certified NDAA compliant under Sections 889 and 841. Connect Tech is ITAR certified, holds U.S. Joint Certification, and participates in the Canadian Controlled Goods Program. The company also uses a design-for-certification approach that includes FCC requirements alongside military and commercial standards. 

Program teams can address compliance, sourcing, and certification requirements during system design rather than waiting until procurement or final qualification. 

Designed and Manufactured in North America 

Connect Tech designs and manufactures its products in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Engineering, manufacturing, and testing keep production feedback close to the design team and providing greater visibility into manufacturing processes, component decisions, product changes, and production support. Trusted sourcing, repeatability, and lifecycle management are part of the technical requirements for many aerospace and defense programs. 

Connect Tech is a subsidiary of HEICO Corporation, a U.S.-based aerospace and defense technology company. The combination brings together Canadian engineering and manufacturing with the broader resources and defense industry reach of a U.S. parent company, supporting customers across the North American defense ecosystem. 

Rugged Systems for Mission Environments 

Ground vehicles, airborne payloads, mobile ISR systems, and autonomous platforms can face shock, vibration, temperature extremes, dust, moisture, electrical noise, limited connectivity, and tight mechanical constraints. 

Connect Tech offers product options ranging from embedded carrier boards for program-specific designs to IP67 sealed systems and MIL-rugged platforms. The company uses a design-for-certification approach and has experience with standards including MIL-STD-810H and DO-160 for environmental qualification. 

Ruggedization needs to reflect the platform’s actual environmental, mechanical, and integration requirements. 

The CTI EdgeAI Stack Connects AI to Production 

The CTI EdgeAI Stack brings Connect Tech’s hardware, I/O, vision, networking, rugged system engineering, and in-house manufacturing together with CTai LABS’ AI engineering, model optimization, application development, and sensor integration for Physical AI deployments. 

AI models, software, sensors, BSPs, drivers, networking, thermal design, mechanics, and manufacturing all affect the final deployed system.  

Defense programs moving from experimentation toward fielding can evaluate software and AI choices against the physical platform while production requirements still influence the system architecture. 

For media inquiries or interviews, please contact:

###

About Connect Tech

Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Guelph, Canada, Connect Tech Inc. (CTI) is a global leader in rugged Edge AI computing platforms engineered for robotics, autonomous systems, and mission-critical applications. For over 40 years, CTI has designed and manufactured in-house, delivering reliable Edge AI architectures that unify compute, vision, networking, and thermal technologies to accelerate customers’ time to market in demanding real-world environments.  

These compact and powerful Edge devices can be deployed onto a range of applications for real-time decision making at the tactical Edge. We hold our rugged Edge devices to a high standard of quality, designed to MIL-STD-810H, DO-160G for shock and vibration, and ingress protection up to IP68.  

As a proud Canadian-based designer and manufacturer, we are part of HEICO Corporation located in Hollywood, Florida, a successful and growing technology-driven electronics company serving industry for over 60 years.  

For more information, visit connecttech.com.