Welcome to SAFE, Canada!
SAFE, DIA, DIANA, the Regional Defence Investment Initiative ++
Last week Canada confirmed its entry into Security Action for Europe (SAFE):
Despite the Orwellian-sounding name, the program is the EU’s new €150 billion financial instrument and part of the Readiness 2030 plan. It is designed to rapidly boost European defense by offering low-cost, long-term loans to member states for defense procurement, strengthening the European defense industry, and reducing reliance on non-EU suppliers.
The nitty-gritty terms and conditions remain unclear such as entry cost (purportedly 10M) and third-country content percentages. The Icebreaker credited the deal as giving Canadian firms access to low‑interest loans and major defence contracts for everything from ammunition to drones. Defense News floated loans for submarines (do they know how much a submarine costs?)
Still, Canada’s Prime-Minister is a banker and should know good loan conditions when he sees it (so should Doug Guzman, the ex-RBC new head of Canada’s Defence Investment Agency).
Between three oceans
Naval Quebec wrapped up its yearly shipbuilding shindig in Quebec City.
NATO Diana teased the reveal of its next cohort of 150 defence start-ups on December 10th.
The Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic has an office in Halifax, Canada.
The Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce proudly hosted its 4th Annual Rebuild Ukraine Business Conference in Toronto, Canada.
Quebec business Journal Les Affaires with the likes of Bombardier, CAE and Davie talking up the increased defence supply chain opportunities - defence truly has gone mainstream in Quebec.
Toronto-based Paradigm Shift hosted KNDS-France to discuss revolutionary barrel technology.
Images were released from the annual Halifax International Security Forum held at the end of November in Halifax (of course!) The high-brow Defence and Security policy focused event was spurned by the US and was referred to as “globalist”.
Canada launched an enormous small-business focused investment fund in order to lay the groundwork for the forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, announcing it will invest $357.7 million to establish a Regional Defence Investment Initiative.
To learn more about RDII: https://lnkd.in/gi5nCAJV
Read the full news release: https://lnkd.in/gyjJUQVw
The Globe and Mail wrote an in-depth report on the generational increase in defence spending in Canada - worth a read!
Canada’s Defence Investment Agency revealed its initial project leadership list with a value of more than $100 million, including: submarines, Arctic over-the-horizon radar, a fleet of early warning-and-control surveillance aircraft, in-service support (ISS) and software upgrades for the CC-130J Hercules transport aircraft as well as satellite communications procurements.
On the continent
Quebec lauded its home-grown expertise at the French Defence innovation forum.
The milestone mission included:
• 10 top-tier startups selected by Airbus, Thales and Safran for their unique technologies;
• 5 site visits and pitch sessions with Airbus, Safran, Arquus and Exail;
• 1 pitch at the Defence Innovation Forum – a first for foreign startups!
• 4 institutional partners engaged: Centech Mtl, National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada, Department of National Defence/Ministère de la défense nationale, Délégation générale du Québec à Paris (DGQP).
The Embassy of Canada in France published additional photos and highlights from France’s innovation event. As well as some kudos from Thales here.
The Canada-Europe Economic Chamber wrapped up its annual business summit. The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) focused event brought on a defence panel for the first time. The recording has been made available.
Elsewhere, the Embassy of Canada joined the Canada-Portugal Chamber of Commerce/Câmara de Comércio Portugal-Canadá for an engaging year-end executive lunch
Canada’s Embassy in the UK shared a moment under a tree and hosted a Canadian delegation in engineering biology innovation.
Aéro Montréal attended an aerospace tradeshow in Italy (Aerospace and Defense Meetings Torino) to represent Québec’s aerospace ecosystem with Quebec attendees like CAE, ATLAS Aeronautik, Héroux-Devtek, Netur Inc. et MAX Technologies Europe.
Norway will spend $6.4Bn on 2 additional Type 212CD submarines, in addition to 4 already on order from Germany’s TKMS (2 have begun construction). Norway will also help finance a second production line to reduce build time. TKMS is one of two contenders in Canada’s possibly much-larger submarine procurement program.
The criticals
Sweden’s Sandvik announced plans to build a $85M facility in Sudbury.
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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