Vanguard Magazine

34 DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 www.vanguardcanada.com S ince its inception, DEFSEC Atlantic has been an event de- signed to enhance networking and showcase opportunities of Atlantic Canada, and this year was no different. As Canada's second largest defence event, DEFSEC Atlantic 2018 was held one month later than usual this year on October 2-4. "The move from September was for more than just heat and humidity," said Colin Stephenson, Executive Director, DEFSEC Atlantic. "If our biggest prob- lem was the atmosphere, we could just move to a site with air conditioning." But according to Stephenson they wanted to be on the waterfront, which is the focal point of Halifax and the home to Canada's Atlantic Fleet. This helped to stimulate networking between industry and the Ca- nadian Armed Forces. An example of showcasing opportuni- ties in Atlantic Canada is through the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepre- neurship (COVE), which is about bring- ing together "the best and the brightest to push ocean tech advances to market." Another reason for moving to October was to facilitate the regional academic in- stitutions which provided over 100 stu- dents and faculty members. During the event, over 1200 attendees traversed the trade show hall, attended in- dustry and government presentations, and enjoyed networking receptions and the an- nual Atlantic Canada Aerospace and De- fence Association (ACADA) dinner. Estab- lished in 2016, ACADA is an SME-focused organization representing about 150 indus- try members from the aerospace, defence and security industries in Atlantic Canada. "The Aerospace and Defence industry continues to grow through the significant domestic programs already underway, near-term procurement programs, and through the growth of our international exports," said Rich Billard, President and CEO of ACADA. Billard pointed out that most of the companies in the region are small to medium-sized enterprises with their exports accounting for a significant proportion of revenue within the indus- try. On the first day of the event, BGen Mi- chael Barker, Director General, Aerospace Equipment Program Management at the Department of National Defence (DND), provided an overview and update on the government's Sustainment Initiative. Launched in the summer of 2016, the Sustainment Initiative was developed by DND in collaboration with Public Ser- vices and Procurement Canada (PSPC), and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISEDC). Through this initiative, the government aims to create more cost-effective and flexible sustainment contracts. BGen Barker em- Industry EVEnTS DEFSEC AtlAntiC 2018 Many reasons for partIcIpatIng By MArcello sukhdeo Kevin McCoy, President - Irving Shipbuilding during his presentation on An Update on Activity at Halifax Shipyard. BGen Michael Barker speaking on the Govern- ment of Canada's Sustainment Initiative. Activity on the exhibition floor.

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