Defence events in Ottawa

As the inaugural edition of what DND has confirmed will be an annual event, this conference is the primary government-convened forum where Canadian defence AI policy, procurement direction, and industry partnerships are shaped at the senior level. For SMEs and startups, the invite-only format provides rare direct access to DND directors, Major-Generals, and CANSOFCOM AI leads who influence acquisition decisions. The breakout structure is explicitly designed to seed post-conference Defence–industry working groups, making participation a potential entry point into Canada's accelerating AI capability pipeline.

With ~2,000 registered guests including cabinet ministers, the Chief of the Defence Staff, all service commanders, and representatives from 20+ federal departments, this is the single highest-density government-military decision-maker gathering in the Canadian defence calendar — making it the most direct access point for suppliers seeking to shape procurement priorities and policy. The 2026 theme of a historic 5%-of-GDP spending commitment signals a multi-year surge in Canadian defence budgets, creating immediate pipeline opportunities across all capability domains. For SMEs and startups, the conference's exhibitor floor and sponsorship tiers offer rare direct visibility to senior DND officials and allied delegations in an intimate, dialogue-driven setting.

The symposium surfaced concrete procurement and infrastructure themes — dual-use roads, runways, and ports — directly relevant to defence suppliers and SMEs active in Arctic and northern markets. With all Arctic NATO allies now aligned post-Sweden/Finland accession, the event reflects accelerating Canadian defence investment and Nordic partnership opportunities that SMEs and primes should track. The high-level diplomatic and parliamentary attendance signals government intent and potential procurement signals for Arctic domain awareness, logistics, and sovereignty capabilities.

JOS is the principal CAF/DND platform for shaping Canada's operational approach to defence, bringing together GOFOs, intelligence community heads (CSE, CSIS), Five Eyes defence attachés, and select industry and academic representatives from bodies such as CADSI. For defence suppliers and SMEs, it is a rare window into the CAF's near-term operational priorities and procurement signals, particularly around Arctic/continental defence and all-domain readiness. The 2026 all-domain theme directly foreshadows capability gaps and investment areas that will drive future DND procurement decisions.