ABCMI & COAST Defence & Security Innovation Forum

Day 1 (Tuesday, April 21)

08:00:  Welcome Desk & Trade Show Opens – coffee available

09:00 – 09:10: ABCMI & COAST Opening Remarks

09:10 – 09:30: Opening Address – RAdm David Patchell, Commander Maritime Forces Pacific/Joint Task Force Pacific

09:30 – 10:40: Panel # 1 – Innovation for the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard

Description: With a rapidly changing defence and security environment, what are the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) looking for in terms of new technologies and innovations?  As they maintain and lengthen the life of legacy fleets while transitioning to new fleet assets, what are the types of issues they are looking to resolve so that industry can understand how to provide solutions and innovative products and services that meet the needs of the RCN and CCG?  What new capabilities does the CCG require as it assumes its additional roles within the Department of National Defence in the context of Canadian security and sovereignty?

• Cdr Frédéric Bard, Section Head, Naval Materiel Technology Management, ADM (Mat), DND
• Cdr Dean Lang, Director of Naval Requirements, CDC, Royal Canadian Navy
• Cdr Matthew Arthur, Head, Advanced Naval Capabilities Unit, Royal Canadian Navy
• Stephan King, Manager, Capacity Building, Maritime Security and Intelligence, Canadian Coast Guard
• Aaron Chan, Portfolio Manager, Integrated Technical Services, Canadian Coast Guard

10:40 – 11:40: Panel #2 – The new world of defence and how it will spur innovation

Description: With the new geopolitical landscape and the commitment from Canada to increase defence spending to meet NATO targets, this panel will discuss how Canada’s Department of National Defence is setting itself up to spur innovation through programming, investment and opportunities; and what this will mean for SMEs and industry in general wanting to pursue this sector. How does Canada’s participation in NATO DIANA and the establishment of the BOREALIS Initiative with its establishment of a Maritime Defence Innovation Secure Hub (DISH), the first of a national network of secure hubs, support innovation efforts?

• Kate Kaminska, Director General, BOREALIS Joint Program Office, DND
• Wendy Hepburn, Deputy Director Defence Industrial Strategy, DND
• Nathan Nankivell, Assistant Deputy Minister, BC Ministry of Jobs & Economic Growth
• Brandon Wright, CEO, Barnacle Systems

11:40 - 13:00: Lunch/Networking Break (80 Min)

13:00 – 14:00: Panel # 3 – Innovation and Investment from Industry: Growing Canada's Defence Industrial Base

Description: Corporations bidding on large ($100M +) Canadian defence contracts incur obligations under Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) policy.  The ITB obligation is aligned with a Value Proposition where one of the key pillars is Research & Development in boosting technological innovation and fostering economic growth.  What are the companies, who hold ITB obligations, thinking and looking for in terms of projects and investments where they can work with SMEs and others to help fund innovation?  Under Canada’s defence procurement framework, large defence contracts generate significant industrial activity and investment in Canada. Beyond compliance requirements, companies make strategic decisions about where and how to invest in research, development, partnerships, and supply chain growth.  As Canada works to strengthen priority defence capabilities and modernize procurement through the Defence Investment Agency (DIA), understanding industry investment behaviour is increasingly important. This panel will explore how industry views investment in Canada’s defence ecosystem, and how government and industry can better align to accelerate capability outcomes and strengthen the domestic defence industrial base.

Moderator: Naina Sloan, President, Pacific Economic Development Canada

• Tom Rose, Offsets & Industrial Participation Director, Thales Canada
• Andrew Coates, Industrial Development Manager, Lockheed Martin Canada RMS
• Chad Hey, Director, Industrial Participation & Strategic Initiatives, Seaspan Shipyards
• Nicolas Nabaa, Director General, Marine & Space Procurement, Defence Investment Agency

14:00 – 15:00: Panel # 4 – Advancing along the TRL progression spectrum

Description: A discussion on how companies are advancing along the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) timeline including what they are doing to make this a reality and where they see the gaps. Examples will be given on what a TRL advancement timeline looks like in this space and who is set up to support companies to achieve advancement. Finally, what does a measure of TRL actually provide in making innovation work?

• Adrien Desjardins, Seaspan Chair for Marine Autonomy, UBC
• Julie Angus, CEO, Open Ocean Robotics
• Sheila Schindel, Managing Director Commercialization and IP Programs, Innovate BC
• Major Dugald Thomson, Air Liaison Officer, Defence Research and Development Canada, DND
• Trevor Moat, Industrial Technical Advisor, NRC-IRAP

15:00 - 15:30: Coffee/Networking Break (30 Min)

15:30 – 16:30: Panel # 5 – Funding to advance innovation  

Description: This panel will dive into where there is funding to support innovation and how it is deployed to help SMEs and industry alike to support their innovation goals.  Examples will be given on how funding has been secured and how applicable each funding source actually is to different forms or stages of innovation.

• Nolan Beise, Senior Advisor, MITACS
• Christopher Moreno, CFO, MarineLabs
• Paul Austin, Partner, Fort Capital Partners
• Barbara Gibbon, Director General, Innovative Solutions Canada

16:30 – 17:00: Panel # 6 – What does maritime Defence and Security look like in British Columbia?  

Description: This panel will provide a brief perspective from the leadership of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) on Canada’s Pacific Coast as to what are the issues and challenges to consider when looking at maritime defence and security in Canadian waters.  How do they safeguard and ensure Canadian sovereignty and how do new innovation and technologies assist them in their tasks?

• Panelists:
  • RAdm David Patchell,  Commander Maritime Pacific Forces & Joint Task Force (Pacific)
  • Derek Moss, Assistant Commissioner – Western Region, Canadian Coast Guard 

Networking Reception 17:00 – 19:00

(in Trade Show area)

Day 2 (Wednesday, April 22)

07:30: Trade Show & Welcome Desk opens (along with light Breakfast) 

08:30 – 08:35:  Opening Remarks 

08:35 – 08:50:  Featured Speaker – Derek Moss, Assistant Commissioner, Western Region, Canadian Coast Guard 

08:50 – 10:00:  Industry Showcase - Ventures who are in the market and are scaling up

• ASL Environmental Sciences, Jan Buermans, President & CEO
• Safran Electronics and Defence, Gerry Champagne, Vice President of Business Development
• Rockland Scientific Corp, Jean-Philippe Juteau, Manager Research & Innovation
• A2O Advanced Materials, Jonathan Sargent, Vice President Research
• DSA, Dean Steinke, Co-Founder & CEO

10:00 - 10:30: Coffee/Networking Break (30 Min)

10:30 – 12:00:  Startup Showcase – Ventures who are starting out

• Open Waters Solar, Simon Angus, Founder & CEO
• Offshore Designs, Voytek Klaptocz, CEO
• Seahawk Robotics, Justin Manley, Chief Commercial Officer
• Mostar Labs, Meiz Majdoub, CEO
• ENVGO, Mike Peasgood, CEO
• OnDeck AI, Alexander Dungate, CEO

12:00 - 13:20: Lunch/Networking Break (80 Min)

13:20 – 14:20: Panel # 7 – The new DIS workforce – what are we in need of and how to do we fill the gaps?

Description: As Canada implements its new Defence Industrial Stategy (DIS), a key component will be building and sustaining a highly skilled workforce that can support Canada’s defence industrial base.  What skills are going to be needed coming up to support growth in the defence and foster innovation?  The workforce that we require will require a wide of variety of skills including trades and STEM occupations.  What are the trends and where are the gaps, and what are the strategies to fill these gaps?

• Jon Mikkelsen, Professor of Teaching, Director, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of British Columbia
• Dan Southern, Director, Workforce Development and Talent Acquisition, Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards
• Joanna White, Assistant Deputy Minister, Labour Market Development, BC Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills
• Elizabeth Barnard, Vice President People Operations, OSI Maritime Systems

4:20 – 15:20: Panel # 8 – AI in the Maritime Industry – What are companies doing to advance the use of AI? 

Description: Artificial Intelligence (AI) helps companies scale by automating manual, repetitive tasks to increase productivity, enhancing decision-making with real-time analytics, and improving customer experiences through personalized support.  It reduces operating costs, optimizes resources, improves cybersecurity, and accelerates growth by enabling faster, data-driven operational decisions.  What can we learn from companies that have implemented AI in their operations and what can AI do for companies working in Canada’s maritime industry?

• Richard Summers, Head of Technology and Innovation, Babcock Canada
• Wei Qiu,  Head and Professor, Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering, Memorial University
• Simon Drouin St-Pierre, Head of Strategic Partnerships, StellarX
• Rajeev Jaiman, Professor, NSERC/Seaspan Industrial Research Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia

15:20:  Concluding remarks - Board Presidents for ABCMI & COAST