CANSEC rolls out R9B Innovation Hub

Showcasing technologies, products and services for land-based, naval, aerospace and joint forces military units, CANSEC is an annual event that has grown to become Canada’s largest tradeshow for the security and defence sector. Organized by the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), it welcomes senior defence industry professionals, top government and military VIPs, Members of Parliament and the Senate, plus international delegations.

This year’s CANSEC, taking place May 29-30 at the EY Centre in Ottawa, will launch the R9B Innovation Hub – a platform to celebrate innovative products and services that are designed to help keep Canadians safe and secure, domestically and abroad.

Paul Keogh, CADSI’s Vice President of Operations, says the “R9B Innovation Hub represents a huge opportunity and value proposition for our members, exhibitors, delegates, and international visitors.” He goes on to describe it as “a meeting place within CANSEC for innovative companies looking to showcase their new technologies to key procurement and early stage venture decision makers who attend CANSEC each year. This is a unique opportunity for companies who are not traditionally associated with this sector and are looking to grow their business while offering inventive safety and security benefits for all Canadians.”

The R9B Innovation Hub area will consist of custom kiosks in a branded location at CANSEC. These prestige kiosks will be part of a turnkey booth package that includes a personalized branded marketing wall and a 42-inch monitor.

Mock-up of Innovation Hub Kiosks (image supplied by CADSI).

The Innovation Frontier
The defence industry is pushing the frontiers of innovation and leading the way in R&D intensity. According to statistics from 2016, $400 million was spent on Research and Development (R&D) in one year. In fact, the R&D intensity of the defence sector is 14% – more than four times that of Canada’s manufacturing sector.

Recognizing this strength, the Govern­ment of Canada identified an innovative defence sector as one of its five domestic defence policy priorities. Entitled Strong, Secure, Engaged (SSE), the policy increases defence funding from $17.1 billion in 2016-17 to $24.6 billion in 10 years. This policy also also singles out intelligence, space and cyber as increasingly important elements for Canada’s security and defence strategy.

The R9B Innovation Hub aims to lead this trend in innovation by featuring new exhibitors from cutting edge and disruptive technologies representing sectors such as cyber defence, robotics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, training simulation, advanced infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and more.

As Paul Keogh outlines, “the goal of CANSEC’s R9B Innovation Hub is to provide a forum which attracts companies which have a lot to offer in terms of contributing to the defence and sovereignty of Canadians but have not traditionally been associated with the defence industry. By offering these companies the opportunity to network with buyers at Canada’s premier defence and security we have fostered the diversification, knowledge and experience within the industry, thus strengthening our defence and security.”

Benefits of Membership
Benefits of exhibiting in the R9B Innovation Hub includes a CADSI membership for the year, which opens the door to other events and networking opportunities provided by the association, such as the Canadian Armed Forces Outlooks (an opportunity to hear from military leaders regarding the procurement status and direction of the CAF), and SME Day Ottawa (where small and medium enterprises connect and learn how to navigate the procurement process).

Members of CADSI are also eligible to participate in the Canada Pavilion at international tradeshows. In addition, membership also provides access to the new myCADSI online portal launched in October 2018. This platform provides industry insights and a means to stay connected within the defence and security community, with easy access to market intelligence for anyone considering the emerging defence markets.
Other initiatives to be launched in 2019 will include a new database of Canadian companies and their capabilities with the defence and security industry,  plus a new e-learning tool that is intended to help improve business practices and help your business grow more intelligently and efficiently.

For more information or to get involved in this opportunity, contact CADSI at exhibits@defenceandsecurity.ca