SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA Engaging with the Canadian Defence Industry Interested in engaging with an organisation within Canada’s Defence Industry ecosystem but don’t know where to start? With contacts and forums in New Zealand and virtually, help isn’t far away. The New Zealand Defence Industry Association (NZDIA) Member Meeting of March 2021 featured several Canadian presenters thanks to the assistance of the High Commission of Canada in New Zealand. In addition to representatives from several Canadian companies, the meeting heard from Canada’s Aucklandbased Senior Trade Commissioner Francis Huot, Wellington-based Defence Adviser CDR Ted Summers, and the Canadian Association of Defense and Security Industry (CADSI).
Canadian Association of Defense and Security Industry According to Steve Hillier, the Association’s Associate Vice President, Business Development and Operations, CADSI represents over 936 Canadian companies. “Our job is to lobby on behalf of Canadian companies, but what we really specialise in is bringing people together,” he told the NZDIA Member Meeting in March. Through its longstanding relationships with the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces, CADSI represents Canada’s
defence and security companies to decision makers in Ottawa and across allied nations, acting as a bridge between government and industry. The Association also monitors and provides input into government policy on behalf of its members. CADSI is the organisation behind CANSEC, Canada’s largest defence and security trade show, which has been held annually in Ottawa since 1998. Due to COVID, the event has been cancelled two years in a row, with the next iteration scheduled for 1-2 June 2022.
Image: CADSI
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