  This paper gives a brief overview of the manifestly covariant canonical gauge
gravity (CCGG) that is rooted in the De Donder-Weyl Hamiltonian formulation of
relativistic field theories, and the proven methodology of the canonical
transformation theory. That framework derives, from a few basic physical and
mathematical assumptions, equations describing generic matter and gravity
dynamics with the spin connection emerging as a Yang Mills-type gauge field.
While the interaction of any matter field with spacetime is fixed just by the
transformation property of that field, a concrete gravity ansatz is introduced
by the choice of the free (kinetic) gravity Hamiltonian. The key elements of
this approach are discussed and its implications for particle dynamics and
cosmology presented. Among the results are especially: - Anomalous Pauli
coupling of spinors to curvature and torsion of spacetime, - spacetime with
(A)dS ground state, inertia, torsion and geometrical vacuum energy, -
Zero-energy balance of the Universe leading to a vanishing cosmological
constant and torsional dark energy.
