canada • europe • connects
Transatlantic Partnerships for Security and prosperity
Ottawa, May 26, 2026
“We are doubling our defence spending by the end of this decade, and we are doing so in ways that build our domestic industries. We are rapidly diversifying abroad. We have agreed (to) a comprehensive strategic partnership with the European Union, including joining SAFE, Europe’s defence procurement arrangements.”
– The Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
Davos, Switzerland – January 20, 2026
A Defining Moment for Canada and Europe
- The transatlantic security order is being rebuilt—fast. Canada’s choices now, on defence innovation, strategic partnerships, and investment, will shape our role in this alliance for decades.
- Join us in Ottawa for the launch of Canada-Europe Connect—a CityAge series that began in Vancouver and will expand across Canada and Europe.
- This Ottawa gathering is a high-level leaders’ briefing on how to build a remarkable new corridor of Canada–Europe trade and investment in defence and strategic industries—grounded in dual-use technology that strengthens allied security while also advancing civilian resilience and sovereignty.
- You’ll meet investors, founders, and leaders working where defence, technology, and commerce converge. We will spotlight Invest Ottawa’s 2025–2030 plan to position the Capital Region as Canada’s premier defence innovation and investment hub, built around AI, cyber, space, robotics, and semiconductors.
Knowledge Partners
Some of the leaders Who will be there
Program Agenda (8:30 AM – 4:00 PM)
Subject to change. Speakers will be announced soon.
08:00 – 08:30 | Arrival, Registration, Coffee
08:30 – 08:45 | Welcome: Why Ottawa, Why Now
CityAge Media, Invest Ottawa, Embassy of Estonia, European Union representative, and Canadian government officials (TBD)
08:45 – 09:15 | Fireside: Ottawa as Canada’s Defence Innovation & Investment Capital (2025–2030)
Invest Ottawa’s five-year plan and the “path to scale” for defence and dual-use firms: commercialization, procurement readiness, exports, and growth capital.
09:15 – 10:00 | Investments Panel: Dual-Use Sovereignty
Where defence capability and civilian resilience overlap—and where the investable opportunities are now (Arctic operations, emergency response, critical infrastructure resilience, secure communications).
10:00 – 10:10 | Break
10:10 – 10:40 | Briefing: CETA → Capability → Investments
How CETA enables transatlantic growth in defence-relevant technology: market access, regulatory cooperation, compliant supply chains, and the foundations for Canada–EU joint industrial scaling.
10:40 – 11:25 | Rapid Briefing: Canada + Europe Programs That Unlock Investments, Procurement, and Scale
A practical, non-sales overview of the tools available on both sides of the Atlantic—what they are for, who qualifies, typical timelines, and the fastest first steps.
Europe (examples):
- SAFE (Security Action for Europe) — joint procurement and industrial scaling pathways
- EDF (European Defence Fund) — R&D collaboration and capability development
- EDIP (European Defence Industry Programme) — industrial readiness and capacity-building mechanisms
Canada (examples):
- IDEaS — defence innovation challenges and pathways
- ITB Policy — industrial benefits tied to major procurements
- NRC IRAP — innovation support for scaling SMEs
- CanExport — export market-entry support
11:25 – 11:40 | Keynote: The Late-2020s Security Economy
Arctic security, deterrence modernization, and the technology realities shaping allied capability and investment strategy.
11:40 – 12:25 | Operators & Investors Panel: Building the Canada–Europe Defence Industrial Base
Investment opportunities and partnership pathways across drones & robotics, AI/data/cybersecurity, aerospace/space systems, and dual-use production and supply chains.
12:25 – 13:10 | Networking Lunch
13:10 – 13:25 | Keynote: Test → Trust → Procurement → Investments
Why validation and readiness drive adoption, contracts, and investor confidence in defence and dual-use markets.
13:25 – 14:10 | Ottawa Capability Panel: Robotics & Drones in the Real World (Area X.O)
How Ottawa-region testing and deployment pathways de-risk technology and accelerate readiness for both defence missions and civilian applications.
14:10 – 14:55 | Procurement & Investments Panel: Accessing Allied Defence Contracts
NATO alignment, Canada–Europe–US coordination, standardization, and how smaller firms become procurement-ready (and investable).
14:55 – 15:05 | Break
15:05 – 15:35 | Fireside: Capital Formation — Funding Growth Across the Atlantic
What gets funded now, what “procurement-ready” means to capital, and how to structure cross-border partnerships that scale.
15:35 – 16:00 | Working Close: Commitments, Investment Pathways, and Working Groups
Top opportunity corridors, working group leads, and 30/60/90-day deliverables.
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