The Canada-Europe rapprochement continues
What’s making waves across the Atlantic
What’s making waves across the Atlantic
2025 winds down & preparation for 2026 rev up. Canada and Europe Go Digital while Germany was the focus of the week. Toronto’s Roshel celebrated a 2000 vehicle delivery milestone for Ukraine.
Between three oceans
The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) released its 2026 events calendar.
And competition heated up for the Defence, Security, and Resilience Bank.
On the continent
Canada is hitting its stride in pivoting to Europe, according to Sam Ayoub, president of the Chambre économique Canada-Europe (Québec) at the Paris Economic Forum.
The Canadian Embassy in Portugal shared a few more images from its reception earlier this month.
Canada and the EU strengthened their digital partnership with a focus on artificial intelligence, digital identity wallets and independent media. Editor’s note: I’m glad they did not include music, I’m not sure about the national anthem re-write.
The announcement came on the heels of another announcement: the Canada-Germany Digital Alliance. The closer cooperation with Germany is a clever rapprochement in an area the Canadian government emphasizes ahead of the multi-billion dollar Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) competition.
Germany’s TKMS celebrated a year full of achievements - with its sights set on the Canadian program. Norway confirmed its order of two additional submarines from TKMS, citing “Norway is a coastal and maritime nation and submarines are absolutely central to the defense of our country”.
Germany’s HelmholtzMunich hosted a two‑day workshop by Building Resilient Partnerships in a Shifting Global Landscape, featuring Terrie Romano, Consul and Principal Advisor of the National Research Council Canada in Germany and Patrick Courcelles, Counsellor for Science & Technology at the Embassy of Canada to Germany highlighted the dynamic bilateral S&T partnership.
And Montréal Aerospace cluster Aéro Mtl launched a Hamburg (Germany) trade mission.
Canada sat in on the Coalition of the willing peace talks (image courtesy of the Spectator and Getty images).
Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, underscoring Canada’s support for Ukraine’s defence, including most recently the $200 million package of critical military capabilities sourced from NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL).
The Embassy of Canada in France opened a call for a trade delegation in the creative industry, and announced a similar one for semi-conductors.
Canada-Europe business deals
Toronto’s Roshel delivered its 2000th Senator vehicle in support of Ukraine.
British-Columbia’s OSI Maritime Systems secured another contract with Poland’s PGZ Stocznia Wojenna to deliver its Integrated Bridge & Navigation System for the Ratownik-class rescue vessel
Montréal headquartered AtkinsRéalis secured a nuclear partnership with UK-based Rolls-Royce Submarines, appointed to deliver nuclear propulsion and engineering capabilities.
Finally, NATO DIANA announced its 2026 cohort. A record-setting 22 Canadian companies were selected as part of the Defence accelerator program.
The criticals
Quebec went to Europe to sell critical minerals, inking an agreement in the UK followed by travel to Brussels to sign a similar agreement and ending in Germany, meeting with Hensoldt and TKMS.
Editor’s note: I could not verify the veracity of the later claims.
Your next bound:
Canadian defence events:
Register for Vanguard’s annual C4ISR conference Jan 27, in Ottawa.
If you prefer Ships, Vanguard’s annual Shiptech forum takes place the following month, 24 Feb, in Ottawa.
{New} A save the date was issued for CDA’s annual Ottawa conference in 5-6 Mar, 2026.
{New} CADSI confirmed the dates for the CAF Outlooks 7-9 April in Ottawa.
Time to put CANSEC on your calendar - May 27-28, Ottawa.
European defence events:
International Armoured Vehicles Conference takes place in London (United Kingdom) on Jan 21-23.
Navy Tech and Seabed Defence Navy Tech Overview - Navy Leaders 3-5 Feb in Sweden.
A save-the-date was issued for the European Defence Fund Info Days 10-11 Mar in Brussel.
ITEC 2026, Europe’s largest defence training technology exhibition and technical conference Mar 25-27.
Undersea defence technology (UDT) takes place Apr 14-16 in London (United Kingdom).
Europe’s largest land domain conference, Eurosatory, is planned in Paris, 15-19 June.
The largest airshow takes place in England, Farnborough International Airshow | Farnborough International Airshow 20-24 July, 2026.
Canada is the lead nation at Poland’s MSPO - 34th International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO ‹ Targi Kielce S.A. 8-11 Sept 2026. MSPO is Canada’s second largest defence presence internationally and a gateway to Ukraine.
Critical Minerals:
If critical minerals are your thing, add Vancouver Resource Investment Conference to your agenda, Jan 25-26.
PDAC is planned in Toronto Mar 1-4.
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Appreciate the detailed rundown on the defense files. It provides some great optimism, but the commercial data suggests the "pivot" still has a long way to go. According to Statistics Canada, in September 2025 we imported $6.5 billion in goods from the EU but exported only $3.7 billion. While the diplomatic ties are strengthening, our trade relationship remains heavily unbalanced. We are still buying far more European machinery and pharmaceuticals than we are selling them the critical minerals promised.
I think Canada should integrate Greenland into its state with Denmark's and the Locals’ full approval.
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Then Canada should be - as close as possible - a Member of the EU.