SMEs & DEFENSE: Integrating defense supply chains: helpful tips for SMEs

Price range: 95.00$ through 125.00$

SMEs & DEFENSE: Integrating defense supply chains: helpful tips for SMEs

Commanditaire
Inno-Centre
The Canadian defense SME market is evolving rapidly in line with the country’s new industrial strategy. For manufacturing and technology SMEs, integrating into the defense supply chain now represents a strategic opportunity for growth and innovation. This conference brings together key players in the ecosystem to offer practical advice, company testimonials, and concrete strategies for entering this market.
Thursday, April 30 | 07:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. | Le Challenger
Member 95.00$ | Non-Member 125.00$

Speakers:

Richard Giguère

Richard Giguère - Moderator and Speaker

President of the Strategic Advisory Board – Defense at Inno-centre. President of the Quebec Military Institute. Co-founder of Ducimus Consulting Group
Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Richard Giguère has accumulated more than 35 years of experience in the Canadian Armed Forces. Deployed to locations including Germany, Haiti, Kabul, and Kandahar, he also served as a military attaché for three years at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. He had the privilege of commanding the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment, and the Citadel of Quebec, the Quebec Sector of the Land Force (now the 2nd Canadian Division) and Joint Task Force (East), and the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, whose mission is to prepare senior military and civilian leaders (both Canadian and foreign) to address complex defense and security challenges. Following his military retirement, he became an expert-in-residence at the Graduate School of International Studies at Laval University, where he teaches, among other things, a multidisciplinary seminar on international security; an associate professor and instructor at the National School of Public Administration (ENAP); and a lecturer at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi. A regular speaker at the École d’Entrepreneurship de Beauce (EEB), he is also an instructor at the Institute of Diplomacy of the Quebec Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie. He is a regular lecturer at the École d’Entrepreneurship de Beauce (EEB) and also serves as an instructor at the Institute of Diplomacy of the Quebec Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie. A graduate of the École interarmées de Défense de Paris (École de guerre), he holds a bachelor’s degree with a specialization in military and strategic studies from the Royal Military College of Saint-Jean and a graduate diploma in strategic studies from the University of Paris XIII (Sorbonne Paris-Nord). He has completed training programs at the Harvard Kennedy School (Senior Executives in National and International Security) and at the United States Joint and Combined Warfighting School in Norfolk, Virginia. As President of the Quebec Military Institute, he served as Honorary Colonel of the Saguenay Regiment, an infantry unit of the Canadian Army Reserve, from 2019 to 2025. In 2017, along with two colleagues, he founded a consulting firm, Ducimus Groupe Conseil, which specializes in developing leadership skills for executives.

Integrating into Defense Supply Chains: Practical Tips for SMEs

Why the defense industry is opening up new business opportunities

Canada’s defense industrial strategy aims to strengthen domestic supply chains and further integrate innovative small and medium-sized enterprises. Companies that develop technologies, industrial solutions, or dual-use products can now play a strategic role in this ecosystem.

What major contractors are looking for

Companies that works with complex networks of suppliers. To integrate into these supply chains, SMEs must demonstrate:

  • industrial reliability
  • capacity for innovation
  • regulatory compliance
  • certifications and quality standards
  • production stability

Large organizations are looking for partners capable of integrating into their industrial supply chain for the long term.

Information and Registration

7:30 a.m. – Networking breakfast
8:00 a.m. – Welcome remarks by CCSL-MR and Mayor Alan DeSousa
8:30 a.m. – Strategic panel discussion moderated by Richard Giguère
9:30 a.m. – Q&A and discussion with participants

Companies that are already part of this ecosystem

Some Quebec SMEs have already taken the necessary steps to join this ecosystem. These companies will share their experiences:

  • how to land their first contract
  • organizational challenges
  • required adjustments
  • the benefits gained

Practical steps for entering this market

Several key steps are essential for entering the market:

  • identifying opportunities for dual-use products
  • developing industrial partnerships
  • investing in specific certifications
  • establishing production and traceability systems
  • understanding supply chain cycles

The panelists will also highlight the most frequent mistakes that SMEs must avoid.

A strategic panel for local businesses

During this discussion, each speaker will share a strategic tip for small and medium-sized businesses looking to join the supply chain. Participants will leave with:

✔ A clear understanding of the market
✔ An understanding of clients’ expectations
✔ Concrete examples of success
✔ Steps to take.

Lieu

In association with:

In collaboration with:
Montoni
Conférence PME défense Canada à Montréal_CCSLMR-2026_15_AVRIL_APRIL
Chambre de commerce et de l'industrie
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