This in-person conference, to be held in Ottawa on 10 November 2026, will examine the necessary adaptation of Canada’s acquisition system to support the Carney government’s defence policy. The event will bring together government officials, industry leaders, military personnel, and academics to discuss how Canada can deliver military capabilities at greater speed while strengthening economic resilience and prosperity.

With Canada’s commitment to the new NATO investment pledge of spending 3.5% of GDP on core defence and devoting 20% of that spending to major equipment and capability investments, defence procurement activity is expected to increase substantially. This will require corresponding modernization of Canada’s procurement system, including how the Canadian Armed Forces are supported through contracted in-service support arrangements. Recent initiatives, including the establishment of the Defence Investment Agency and the development of a Defence Industrial Strategy, represent the most significant period of procurement reform in generations.

The conference will address several key questions:

• How will the “Build-Partner-Buy” framework outlined in Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy be implemented?
• What role should the Defence Investment Agency play within Canada’s broader defence procurement ecosystem?
• What policy and structural reforms are needed across government to improve procurement outcomes and accelerate capability delivery?