Vanguard Magazine

42 APRIL/MAY 2026 www.vanguardcanada.com current CCG fleet with the new security mandate that will further drive the demand for operational availability of legacy ships. The afternoon continued with a third panel discussion of the day on autonomous and remotely operated vessels in the Arctic moderated by Robert McCraight a senior naval architect with VARD. The panel, rep- resenting OSI Maritime, ABS Global Gov- ernment Services and L3Harris Technolo- gies, discussed regulatory developments in the Arctic and how to employ autonomous and unmanned vessels under current and fu- ture regulatory requirements. Predictabili- ty is key to developing a trusted framework which entails working through tests and trials to be able to deploy these systems of systems. Moreover, there is the issue of where/when/how the transfer of au- tonomy from human control will happen, notably in vessels that are not designed to have a human onboard. The afternoon then proceeded with two presentations and four technical showcases by: • SAFRAN on keeping pace with innova- tive technology • Thales Canada on redefining partnership through regional contracting • J-Squared Technologies on next genera- tion shipboard communications • Prime Mover Controls on their products • GasTOPS on intelligent propulsion sys- tem digital twins • Atlantiq AI on AI in ship design. The final event of the forum was an in- formative presentation by Nicolas Nabaa, the Director-General Marine and Space Procurement for the Defence Investment Agency (DIA), on the new agency. He dis- cussed the need for meaningful change to defence procurement as a result of a long history of structural problems in delivering results to the Canadian Armed Forces and the CCG. He underscored the DIA plan is to build long term industrial capacity in Canada, and to effect faster and more predictive decision making. He noted that DIA will have more procurement authority than previously held by PSPC. Summary ShipTech 2026, was successfully and elo- quently managed by the MC, who neatly summed up a rather full day which suc- cessfully addressed Canada's ability to deliver complex platforms in a changing world. Without a doubt, ShipTech Forum 2026 benefited from recent government decisions to significantly increase defence spending and the announcement of the new Defence Industrial Strategy. This al- lowed for a meaningful discussion on fu- ture of Canada's marine industry. Capt(N) Norman Jolin (Ret'd) is an Associate Consultant with CFN Consultants specializing in naval and maritime issues. Prior to joining CFN, he provided advice on Canadian defence procurement in the private sector, following a 37-year career in the Royal Canadian Navy. Le to right: Lee Sanders, Safety Engineering Manager, L3Harris Technologies; Domenic Carlucci, Vice President, ABS Global Government Services; Commander Nancy Setchell (Ret'd), Autonomous Capability Development Manager, OSI Maritime Systems; Robert McCraight, Senior Naval Architect, VARD Icebreakers. Research vessels. Government ships. With a proven track record that includes Polar icebreaker and the new Polarstern research vessel, Elomatic does its best work where engineering is pushed to its limits. Our teams across Canada, U.S., Finland, Germany and Poland deliver the full scope from concept to completion. Icebreakers. Research vessels. Government ships. With a proven track record that includes Polar icebreaker and the new Polarstern research vessel, Elomatic does its best work where engineering is pushed to its limits. Our teams across Canada, U.S., Finland, Germany and Poland deliver the full scope from concept to completion. Come meet our team at CANSEC 2026 at booth #1004! Engineered for the world's most demanding vessels Engineered for the world's most demanding vessels elomatic.com Ready to discuss? Contact us! Miska Merikukka Managing Director, Elomatic Canada miska.merikukka@elomatic.com +16048305598

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