Move over Aerospace and Tech - Canada’s Defence sector is here.
Canada’s week in London, final MSPO notes, and big news in Copper.
Move over Aerospace and Tech - Canada’s Defence sector is here.
220+ Canadian companies attended DSEI in London (UK) - dethroning Aerospace and rivaling tech enthusiasm:
Only 130 Canadian companies (150 by my count!) attended the Paris Airshow despite the sector contributing to 2% of Canada’s GDP.
230 organizations attended Vivatech, the largest Tech event in Europe, complete with Canada’s swankiest booth and full suite of ministerial presence.
More importantly, both the Airshow (Le Bourget (Paris) or Farnborough (UK)) and Vivatech (Paris) (and its other tech look-alikes) receive the full backing of government: funding, ministerial presence, and cooperation across all levels.
Canada’s DSEI was ad-hoc and disjointed (not a critique of CADSI, kudos to them for the team effort) and not up to the same standard.
Check out what a full government effort looks like: Vivatech 2025.
Still not convinced?
Now that defence is societally permissible again it should consider the Australian approach (Team Defence Australia):
While at DSEI:
Canada’s Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr opened the week at the Canadian Association for Defence and Security Industry’s opening briefing. Fuhr used the opportunity to update attendees on progress towards a Defence Procurement Agency:
Now expected by tranches, with tranche one expected in the coming weeks;
Key policy changes including a public commitment to move beyond one-size-fits all Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) policy;
A commitment to a Defence Export Strategy led by Global Affairs Canada;
An off-handed remark about East Coast companies needing to invest in Western Canada and “share the wealth” soured the milk in some companies' coffee.
At the end of the week, Siobhan Harty, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Defence and Marine Procurement, Public Services and Procurement Canada, confirmed the government’s “Buy in Canada” mantra. “The ITB policy is not going anywhere - but we’ll be adding to the procurement toolkit”. The Senior ADM sought to assuage attendees of the MakeUK Defence crowd by mentioning the importance of international partnerships.
Canada’s DSEI featured first-time (in a long-time) participation from the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada’s first ever participation, institutional support is coming.
Quebec scale-up Quaze announced a partnership with Bristol UK based VATN. CAE opened new facilities in Vienna, Central Europe.
Korean Hanwha signed a teaming agreement with Babcock Canada, tying up with the only company in Canada that has experience managing its current fleet.
Finally, MSPO in Poland wrapped up Canada’s second largest defence pavilion. Canada also celebrated the doubling in international trade.
Critical Minerals
Registration opened for Red Cloud's Fall 2025 Mining Showcase in Toronto on November 4-5. For mining company executives, institutional investors or accredited investors seeking exposure to the next wave of mining opportunities, this is worth checking out!
Metals competitor Bitcoin reached an 11-month low Google search volume amid Gold surging to new levels, breaking the $3,600 USD/oz mark. Mining company earnings estimates are rising by a strong 80% through 2025.
Not to mention, the top deal of the decade where Anglo American (LON:AAL) is acquiring Teck Resources (TSX:TECK.A TECK.B, NYSE: TECK), Canada’s largest diversified miner in a $53 billion all-share merger - creating the world’s fifth-largest copper producer - a precedent-setting deal heralded as a renaissance in the mining sector.
The copper deal comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the fast-tracking of two other copper mines and Canada’s first small modular reactor.
Copper plays a role in military applications, and is part of the government’s strategy to meet 2-3.5-5% of GDP in defence spending, and the world is running out.
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Upcoming events:
Join CCC’s Exporting in a Shifting World: How Canadian Firms Use CCC Abroad on 24 September to learn more about how they support government to government contracting
Canada’s second largest defence tradeshow DEFSEC will be held at the end of the month in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The event is well-known for its local charm, as well as openness to foreign companies.
Please check out Michael’s canadaxindopacific for more on defence, trade and the Indo-Pacific!
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