In September, UKC3 was invited by the High Commission of Canada to attend a breakfast meeting at Canada House, Trafalgar Square. The event brought together Canadian and UK businesses to explore new avenues of defence cooperation. The discussion, chaired by Andy Butt (MakeUK Defence), featured perspectives from David Holmes (UK Defence Business Centre), James Kempston (NP Aerospace), John Stocker (BAE Systems), and Siobhan Harty (Defence & Marine Procurement, Canada).
The dialogue underscored an important reality: as the global security environment grows more complex, the defence sector must adapt by moving beyond traditional procurement models toward deeper, more agile partnerships.
For Canada and the UK, this means strengthening industrial collaboration, with a particular emphasis on the role of innovative SMEs. These firms contribute agility, disruptive technologies, and fresh thinking that are vital to future capability.
Three strategic priorities emerged:
- Regulatory Alignment – Harmonising legal and industrial frameworks to reduce friction, streamline export processes, and enable joint investment in integrated supply chains.
- Innovation at Pace – Coordinating standards and accelerating investment in frontier technologies such as AI, autonomy, quantum, and cybersecurity to remain at the forefront of capability development.
- SME Enablement – Designing pathways for SMEs to access contracts and capital, while creating new risk-sharing and procurement structures that support their ability to scale.
By addressing these priorities, Canada and the UK can reinforce their shared defence capabilities, strengthen their industrial bases, and contribute to a more secure and resilient international order.
UKC3, alongside its regional clusters and members, was pleased to participate in the event and contribute to the dialogue. We are excited to see the collaborations that will develop between Canadian companies and UKC3 cluster members in the months ahead.
This collaboration is not simply about meeting today’s requirements, it is about shaping the future of defence through partnership and innovation.
