Delegation calls for greater recognition of Canadian ownership and control in defence procurement, and clearer pathways from innovation to operational deployment.
OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 3, 2026 /CNW/ -- Today, the Alliance of Canadian Defence Companies (ACDC) leads a national delegation of defence and dual-use companies to Parliament Hill, calling for greater recognition of Canadian ownership and control in defence procurement and a clearer, more agile pathway from testing to procurement.
The delegation is meeting with senior federal officials and parliamentarians to advance recommendations informed by ACDC’s ongoing engagement with Canadian defence companies, including individual consultations with close to 90 firms across the country and a member survey. Across these consultations, companies have described difficulties securing contracts following successful military trials, limited visibility into procurement decisions and uncertainty about future defence demand. They have also raised concerns about whether procurement policies adequately recognize Canadian ownership and control, particularly in priority sovereign capability areas.
“Over the past several months, we’ve spoken with defence and dual-use companies across Canada, from emerging tech developers to established manufacturers. Despite their different capabilities and experiences, we’ve heard remarkably consistent concerns about procurement, access to opportunities and the certainty needed to invest and grow,” said Dasha Cohen, executive director of ACDC. “Our first Hill Day is about bringing those perspectives directly to federal decision-makers, putting forward practical recommendations and building the relationships needed to turn them into meaningful change.”
Preliminary findings from ACDC’s member survey suggest that greater certainty around future Canadian defence demand could unlock additional hiring, investment and production capacity. Among 49 responding defence and dual-use companies:
86% said they would hire additional employees.
73% would develop new capabilities.
67% would expand production or delivery capacity.
67% would increase research and development.
Strengthening Canadian industrial capacity
ACDC is calling for defence procurement policies that distinguish between companies operating in Canada and those that are Canadian-owned and controlled. Beyond ownership, this means considering where intellectual property is held, where key decisions are made and whether critical defence technologies can be produced and maintained in Canada.
As defence spending increases, these distinctions will help determine whether public investment builds lasting Canadian industrial capacity and strengthens Canada’s control over capabilities critical to its national security.
Moving Canadian innovation into operational use
ACDC is proposing a graduated procurement approach, with streamlined processes for awarding smaller initial contracts and opportunities for larger orders as technologies meet operational and performance milestones. Earlier engagement with Canadian Armed Forces personnel, clearer procurement timelines and more predictable demand would help companies develop technologies that meet military needs and invest in expanding production.
“Canada cannot call itself sovereign in space if every satellite it depends on has to launch on another country’s rocket. Sovereignty means deploying and operating a capability without asking anyone’s permission, and that only holds when the capability is designed, built and controlled in Canada, from the intellectual property down to the software,” said Bachar Elzein, founder and CEO of Reaction Dynamics. “Canadian companies are ready to deliver. What they need is procurement that rewards proven milestones and sends a predictable demand signal.”
ACDC’s delegation includes representatives from North Vector Dynamics, Dominion Dynamics, OVA, PV Labs, Kraken Robotics, Reaction Dynamics, Kepler Communications, JASCO Applied Sciences, Wuxly, Qohash and Canadian Strategic Missions Corporation (CSMC), representing capabilities across autonomous systems, aerospace, marine and space technologies, advanced manufacturing, sensors and cybersecurity.
About the Alliance of Canadian Defence Companies
The Alliance of Canadian Defence Companies (ACDC) is a national trade association representing approximately 200 Canadian-owned and controlled defence and dual-use companies. Founded by co-chairs Eliot Pence of Dominion Dynamics and Paul Ziadé of North Vector Dynamics, ACDC provides a collective voice for domestic industry, advocates for policies that strengthen Canada’s sovereign defence-industrial capacity, supports Canadian innovation and improves access to defence procurement opportunities.
Noah Note: Oh look, (almost) all our sponsors in one place. Anywho, ACDC is a greay organization, made up and led by a lot of great people who really want to see the industry succeed. They're leading a campaign that I think many are still nervous about discussing too much, what needs to change for SME to have more opportunities in Industry, what alternative forms of procurement can we adopt to better facilitate growth and create actual procurement pathways?
None of these conversations are new to the scene, far from it. They are well established grievances that have stretched out long before I was here. The lack of opportunity, the start and stop approach to how smaller companies are supported. A merry-go-round of flashy promises and contests with no way to get off and actually get our of the valley of death.
That isn't to say others have not tried, but ACDC to their credit have managed to bring many together under a singular banner to preach the message and advocate beyond what other organizations have done. Say what you want about associations and such, advocacy is important and aadly the defence space for too long has been trapped in a monotony of advocating for itself where people sadly don't always get out the right messages.
So, power to them I say.
That is exactly what they do. No American or Israeli company should be allowed to even bid. There should be an approved contractor list that has been investigated and vetted to ensure there is no even partial American or Israeli ownership. Companies should be 100% Canadian owned