As the federal government ramps up defence spending, another new industry organization is aiming to help homegrown defence companies capitalize on new business opportunities – this time with a focus on Ontario firms. The Ontario Defence Association officially launched this week “to better align the province’s industrial capabilities with national priorities,” the organization said. In […]
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As the federal government ramps up defence spending, another new industry organization is aiming to help homegrown defence companies capitalize on new business opportunities – this time with a focus on Ontario firms.
The Ontario Defence Association officially launched this week “to better align the province’s industrial capabilities with national priorities,” the organization said.
In a news release Monday, the new group said Ontario’s defence industrial base “is significant but historically under-co-ordinated at the provincial level.” The ODA says it is “the only provincial not-for-profit organization dedicated exclusively to advancing Ontario’s defence industrial base across all domains.”
Provincial government data shows Ontario’s defence sector includes more than 300 companies that employ 13,000 workers and generate $5 billion in annual revenues, the ODA says.
Yet despite the defence industry being a major contributor to the provincial economy, Ontario “has lacked a dedicated, defence-focused body to co-ordinate industry engagement, support procurement readiness, and represent its interests at scale,” the organization added.
The ODA says it plans to act as a liaison between defence and security firms and various power brokers at the provincial and federal levels. It also says it wants to improve access to procurement and funding pathways, bolster regional supply chains and help better prepare small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in defence programs.
“Ontario has the industrial depth to be a decisive contributor to Canada’s defence priorities,” ODA chair Ted Kirkpatrick, who serves as vice-president of business development and government relations at Hamilton-based Ontario Shipyards, said in a statement.
“What’s been missing is a dedicated provincial co-ordination mechanism. The ODA closes that gap by bringing industry, government and partners into a more structured and aligned framework.”
According to the ODA’s website, its membership fees range from $500 annually for companies with 50 or fewer employees to $2,500 for firms with a headcount of 501 or more. The organization said it is open to businesses registered in Ontario that operate in the defence sector or in dual-use applications serving both civilian and defence markets.
An ODA spokesperson said Tuesday she did not immediately know how many companies from the National Capital Region are part of the new group. The organization’s 11-person board of directors includes Scott Healey, a senior business development manager at Ottawa-based wastewater treatment firm BluMetric Environmental.
The ODA follows in the footsteps of other groups that have recently been formed to help Canadian defence industry players have a stronger voice in issues such as procurement reform and industrial policy.
An organization called the Alliance of Canadian Defence Companies officially launched in February. Headquartered in Ottawa, the new group bills itself as “an industry-led trade association” that will lobby government on its members’ behalf and “foster deeper co-ordination across the defence supply chain” as Canada looks to beef up its domestic defence capabilities.
In addition, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters announced the same month it was creating a new initiative called CME Defence designed to help members tap into defence supply chains and access procurement opportunities for contracts with defence primes and government agencies.
The new organizations are making their debut amid a surge in federal defence spending aimed at boosting the country’s domestic defence industry and making it less dependent on the United States.
Earlier this year, the federal Liberals unveiled their new Defence Industrial Strategy, a $6-billion program designed to shore up Canada’s defence industry by identifying areas where homegrown firms can provide innovative solutions to the Canadian Armed Forces.
Meanwhile, the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau have launched a campaign to turn the region into a national defence innovation hub, with the goal of generating billions of dollars in economic activity.
