Vanguard Magazine

B BEST DefeNCe 44 DeCeMBer 2016/JANUArY 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com About 350 attendees from the defence and security community gathered in London, Ont. in early November to participate in the 2016 Best Defence Conference. by Marcello Sukhdeo T his event was organized by Pilot Hill, a new company set up by Heather Pilot, the originator of Best Defence Conference which is now in its fifth year. The previous confer- ences were organized by the London Eco- nomic Development, with Pilot playing a key role since its inception. The two-day conference provided a platform of bringing together companies locally and internationally to learn more about Canadian defence procurement, re- quirements, future technology trends and value proposition. It also unlocked supply chain opportunities while providing an in- timate forum for networking between key players within the industry and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The consensus among those that have attended was that because the event was smaller in size, they were able to spend more time than they usually do at larger events in areas of business that can be ex- ploited for future business growth. "This year's Best Defence Conference was very informative and a great eye open- er for companies who are SMEs like us," James Delsaut, VP and Co-Founder of Crystal Green Energy said. "The confer- ence also had a very inviting and intimate atmosphere, making it more conducive for effective networking. We will certainly mark this conference as a must-attend in next year's calendar." Matt McRoberts, President of Pegasus Aeronautics, a company whose goal is to de- sign a cost effective alternative power source for industrial drones over the current lith- ium-polymer batteries, said they were able to meet people and companies that they had been trying to connect with for a long time. It was two-way street as well, as they met with companies that could possibly manu- facture their new alternative power source. Pegasus Aeronautics was one of almost a dozen small novel innovative companies that made their debut at Best Defence this year as part of the new addition to the event – the Tech Showcase. As part of this Show- case, the 11 novel tech companies were giv- en 4-minute speaking opportunities toward the end of the conference to highlight their innovations, which ranged from VR/AR content, sensors and drones, to non-GPS tracking and Mixed Reality headsets. The keynote address was given by RAdm Darren Hawco, Chief of Force Develop- ment, during the reception on November 8 outlining his role and the importance of working on policy and providing guidance of force development across the Canadian military. He went on to highlight how he and his team collaborate with the Chief of Programme to set the rules for the Cana- dian Military and the processes they need to follow. His role can be defined as "a key policy conduit for the Canadian Forces on matters of general policy." During his message RAdm Hawco ex- pressed his thanks for the opportunity to visit the booths of the tech companies and see first-hand technologies that are emerg- ing that perhaps one day can fit into the defence capabilities of the Canadian Armed Forces. The following day Capt. Christopher Robinson, Director of Naval Requirements, provided an overview of Defence Acquisi- tion Guide (DAG) from the Naval side, pointing out that programs on the DAG are those that the RCN has done an analy- sis on, but that does not necessarily mean they have funding for them. He went on to highlight the upcoming naval programs like Point Defence Missile System Upgrade (PSMSU), Naval Large Tug (NLT) and STRONGBOW, which is a joint CAF proj- ect for the Halifax Class. He talked briefly about the Naval Electronic Warfare System Sub Surface program, which was approved a few weeks ago with funding granted for this to be on the Victoria Class submarines. Other sessions were held on R&D Fund- ing, Value Proposition, How to do busi- ness with OEMs and Systems Integrators, Next Generation Military Vehicle, Future Warfare Capability Requirements and Fu- ture Technology Trends. Some companies, according to Heather Pilot, have already indicated interest in next year's event which is set for November 1 and 2. Ken McConnell, Senior Advisor, Indus- trial Development for the Federal Eco- nomic Development Agency for Southern Ontario summed up the event aptly by say- ing that Southern Ontario is a better place because of the Best Defence Conference. Best defence Conference 2016: intimate networking Rear Admiral Darren Hawco, Chief of Force Development, Department of National Defence, gives the keynote address

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