Opening remarks by Policy Insights Forum Chairman Goran Samuel Pesic on NATO SACT's Visit to Ottawa on May 25, 2023.

Objective

The aim of the The Canadian Industry Engagement with NATO SACT event is to bring together industry executives and senior officials and engage in topics within SACT, ask questions and get General Lavigne's view on the ambiguous and complex nature of the security environment, the state and non-state actors who continue to disrupt, and the global challenges brought about by pandemics and climate change.

Context

The creation of the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) by NATO in 2003 was an innovation ahead of its time. In the wake of World War II, NATO was stood up to defend members against an attack by the USSR. To do so, all member nations except Canada and the U.S. would likely fight on their own territory. Thus, the forces fielded by member nations did not necessarily require to be deployable outside their territory. Two NATO strategic (Supreme) commands were to undertake defensive operations using the forces provided by nations: Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT), whose area of responsibility was the Atlantic, with Headquarters based in Norfolk, VA, USA.

Today, many initiatives have confirmed SACT as the true hub of transformation in NATO, with the Headquarters at the centre and its subordinate units, nations and their representatives, industry partners, and the centres of excellence along the wheel. It acts as the conduit for all those wanting to innovate, experiment and disrupt to improve operations and efficiencies, and keep ahead of any potential enemy.

Program Schedule:

·        10 AM: Welcome Host: Goran Samuel Pesic, Chairman of the Policy Insights Forum.
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·        10: 10 AM: Keynote Speaker: Général Philippe Lavigne, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) and Speech on the Theme: 
"NATO and the Future of Technology, R&D and Innovation".
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·       10:30 AM: Questions and Answers Session Hosted by Fatima Atik, Executive Director of the Policy Insights Forum.
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·        11:00 AM: Closing Host: Shannon Kellogg, VP, AWS Public Policy Americas, Public Policy
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·       11:10 AM: Appreciation presentation to SACT
·       Canadian LGen Michel Maisonneuve, (retired) - NATO ACT's first Chief of Staff in 2003 - to present SACT with a Canadian Indigenous Cultural Gift on behalf of the event co-hosts.

Brief Networking Session and End of Program.

Date:

The Canadian Industry Engagement with NATO SACT event took place on Thursday, May 25, 2023.‍

Venue:

The in-person The Canadian Industry Engagement with NATO SACT event was held at AWS Headquarters at 141 Laurier Avenue West.

Format:

The Canadian Industry Engagement with NATO SACT event was designed to feature Général Philippe Lavigne, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) and Canadian Security and Defence Industry leaders.

Audience:

The Canadian Industry Engagement with NATO SACT event organized by the Policy Insights Forum facilitated discussions between a wide range of medium-to-large companies in the defence sector. It showcased interest in a spectrum of collaboration areas with NATO, including critical domains such as Digital Transformation, Maritime Security, Submarines, Satellites, Cloud Technologies, Secure Communications, and Cybersecurity, among others.