(Originally published in the April 2012 issue of the Nova Scotia Business Journal - "Aerospace & Defence" special advertising feature)
Atlantic Canada's defence, security and aerospace exhibition is coming to Halifax this fall.
DEFSEC Atlantic 2012 — taking place from September 5 to 7 at the Cunard Centre at Pier 23 — offers small and medium sized companies the best opportunity to participate in the great business potential of the shipbuilding venture and other procurement projects of the military.
Exhibitors and attendees will have access to the latest technologies, equipment and systems that are available to Canada's military for use in their full spectrum of exercises and operations. The theme of the 2012 show will be “Modeling and Simulation”.
Among DEFSEC's featured activities will be a panel discussion about the military application of modeling and simulation by pre-eminent speakers in the field and the defence department’s material division will provide an update on the status and progress of the various projects. Presentations by Industry Canada and Public Works about opportunities and regulations that potential and current suppliers need to know to effectively market their goods and services to federal departments and agencies will fill out the program.
With its beginnings as the Nova Scotia International Air Show's industry day, which initially focused on the Sea King Replacement project, it has blossomed into a multi-sector event that encompasses services and facilities for all branches of the Canadian Forces.
“Canadian sailors, soldiers and air men and women can see the technologies that they will be using in their equipment and what will be available in the future,” says the exhibition’s executive director Colin Stephenson.
The exhibition provides opportunities for interaction and participation from many defence disciplines and sectors as well as government agencies that cover the range of procurement, policy and partnership discussions among hundreds of key personalities in the defence and security sectors. Supplier booths and pavilions will be open to defence and military clients, government departments and the private sector, defence and aerospace associations from Nova Scotia and other provinces, as well as international agencies seeking to do business in Atlantic Canada.
Canada's defence and military establishments can appear to be daunting and confusing to companies seeking to find opportunities for business development in the aerospace and defence, and related markets. Most shows of its type require prior membership in related associations and restrict access to the government procurement professional and the end users of the products and services.
DEFSEC Atlantic's open door policy has led to the welcoming of contingents from Europe, South America and the United States with trade commissioners and one-to-one connection links to facilitate networking and partnership potential for Nova Scotia companies to export their products and talents around the world.
Atlantic Canada’s geostrategic location has resulted in much of Canada's military infrastructure being based in Atlantic Canada, and Nova Scotia receives DND’s third largest regional funding envelope and the largest per capita spending in the nation. DEFSEC is uniquely positioned to provide attendees access to defence and Canadian forces representatives who have participated in active operations in the Canadian Arctic, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, Balkans and Africa, and operations off the coast of Somalia. These deployments include counter-piracy, counter-narcotics patrols and peacekeeping operations. These same representatives inevitably rotate through Ottawa, many going to the various procurement project offices. Ships, vehicles and aircraft are all on the menu for companies who want to display their capabilities to these professionals.
One of the critical relationships which DEFSEC promotes and brokers is between Atlantic Canada’s small to medium enterprises and the larger manufacturers which are the prime contractors on so many of the large projects, and who seek Canadian content for their programs to meet their contractual obligations for industrial offset arrangements.
In previous years, these companies have included Lockheed Martin, CAE, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Boeing, and others. Many of these suppliers have Industrial Regional Benefits obligations in the billions and are actively seeking local partnerships to fulfill them.
For further information on DEFSEC 2012, check out: www.defsecatlantic.ca
*Read more "Aerospace & Defence" feature stories at: http://www.ns.dailybusinessbuzz.ca/Industry-Spotlight/Aerospace-%26amp%3B-Defence-22890
