AUSA Annual Meeting & Exposition
Washington, D.C. / United States
The anchor event for anyone selling to the US Army. Program offices and primes are present in force; ideal for SMEs seeking subcontracting and teaming opportunities.
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North AmericaConferences & summitsPast event
9–10 Feb 2026
AI In Defence Conference | Conférence sur l'IA en défense
Ottawa, Canada
- Dates
- Mon, 9 February 2026 – Tue, 10 February 2026
- Location
- Ottawa, Canada
- Organizer
- Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) & Department of National Defence / DND/CAF AI Centre
- Cost
- invite_only
- Scale
- intimate
- Recurrence
- annual
- Format
- On-site
Market intel
Moderate pricinghigh confidence
The inaugural AI in Defence Conference drew over 200 invite-only participants from the Canadian Defence Team, industry, academia, and government departments.
- Industry participants included cloud and AI technology providers alongside Canadian defence-focused startups and SMEs, engaging directly with senior DND officials and CAF commanders.
- The event was co-produced by the DND/CAF AI Centre and CGAI under the MINDS program umbrella, with no commercial exhibition floor.
Notable exhibitors
Dell TechnologiesAmazon Web ServicesCohereBellZighraSapper LabsAnvilArchean Strategies
AI-researched Tue, 25 August 2026. Estimates from public sources. Verify with the organizer.
Why it matters
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.
Registration
About
A two-day, invite-only symposium jointly hosted by the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and the Department of National Defence's DND/CAF AI Centre, in partnership with the MINDS program.
- The conference focuses on the use, integration, and application of artificial intelligence as a critical enabler of Canada's defence capability and sovereignty, bringing together government, industry, and academia.
- Day one features plenary panels on AI strategy, digital procurement, and responsible innovation
- Day two moves into facilitated breakout groups covering cyber defence, C2, logistics, autonomy, Arctic operations, and more
- The event is designed to identify shared challenges and catalyse joint Defence–industry working groups.
Topics
AIC2 / Battle ManagementCyberAutonomy & RoboticsLogistics
Who it's for
SMEsStartupsInstitutionsPrimes
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