22 October 2015 - The Symposium on Canadian Defence and Security Market gets under way in Boucherville
The Symposium on Canadian Defence and Security Market gets under way in Boucherville
October 21, 2015 – Boucherville, Quebec – For a second year, the Symposium will be bringing together key players in the defence and security industry from Canada and abroad. This one-day event will give some 15 contract givers and the representatives of nearly 120 Quebec businesses and organizations the opportunity to come together to, among other things, network and evaluate the business opportunities associated with this promising growth market.
The event in brief
The Symposium on the Canadian Defence and Security Market is a Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) initiative organized in partnership with STIQ, Aéro Montréal, the Quebec aerospace cluster and the Quebec Ground Transportation Cluster.
With the strength of its key technology manufacturing sectors like aerospace, optics-photonics, simulation and information technologies, Quebec has all of the attributes needed to fully capitalize on the industrial and technological benefits in defence and security and to integrate global value chains in the sector.
The defence and security sector has a direct and indirect contribution of $9.5 billion to Canadian GDP, $2.3 billion of it in Quebec alone. The sector, by its very nature, is also a major creator of high-quality jobs.
The aim of the Symposium is to place Quebec, its businesses and its research facilities at the forefront of business opportunities in the defence and security sector.
The event also seeks to make Quebec businesses more aware of strategic issues and global trends in defence and security by providing targeted content presented by key stakeholders during conferences, plenary sessions and practical workshops.
Word from the organizers
“As strengthening the ties among the various links in the supply chains is one of our main priorities, STIQ is very happy to be co-organizing this event. Over the next few years, major procurement projects by National Defence and the Coast Guard will be offering one-of-a-kind business opportunities for Quebec businesses. Contractors hoping to win these calls for tender will need to rely on the best suppliers in order to present successful bids. The manufacturing SMEs that manage to distinguish themselves with innovative products, organizational efficiency and a competitive offering will be able to harness these opportunities.”
Richard Blanchet, President and CEO, STIQ
“The defence and security sector represents a major business opportunity for SMEs in the aerospace industry. This symposium is a unique occasion for our SMEs to learning about the Canadian military procurement programs that generate significant economic benefits. Aéro Montréal’s Defence and National Security working group was created to that end and is making it a point to ensure the planning, coordination and implementation of a concerted action plan to address the major issues in defence and security and to promote the industrial capabilities of Quebec’s aerospace cluster for this important sector.”
Suzanne Benoît, President and CEO, Aéro Montréal
“Our Cluster is proud to join with STIQ and Aéro Montréal in offering Quebec SMEs a growth opportunity in the defence and security sector. This symposium is an excellent opportunity for businesses that want to learn more about an industry that, although complex, also offers the potential of considerable economic and technological benefits for our leading-edge sectors.”
Vincent Dugré, Vice-President Operations, Quebec Ground Transportation Cluster
About Aéro Montréal
Aéro Montréal, Quebec's aerospace cluster, is a strategic think tank created in 2006 that groups all the major decision makers in Quebec's aerospace sector, including companies, educational and research institutions, associations and unions. Aéro Montréal's mission is to mobilize industry players around common goals and concerted actions to increase the cohesion and optimize competitiveness of Quebec’s aerospace cluster. It aims to foster the growth and expansion of the cluster to ensure that it may continue to create wealth for Montreal, Quebec and Canada. Over the years, Aéro Montréal adopted a strategic action plan that includes the creation of working groups. These working groups are dedicated to six areas of intervention, namely supply chain development, branding and promotion, innovation, human resources, defense and national security and commercialization and market development. For more information, visit Aéro Montréal or follow @ Aéro Montréal on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AeroMontreal.
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Gwenaël Brisé
Communications manager
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