## [Canada West Defence & Dual-Use Research and Innovation Forum](/defenceforum) ## On this page - [Event Information](#eventinfo) - [Program At a Glance](#agenda) - [Registration](#tickets) - [Travel Information](#travelinfo) ## The **Canada West Defence & Dual-Use Research and Innovation Forum** anchors Western Canada’s research leadership across AI, autonomous systems, marine/aerospace technologies, situational awareness, and personnel protection. Hosted jointly by BC's post-secondary institutions and KAS, this 3-day forum directly bridges academic innovation with DND procurement targets, global Prime supply chains, and real-world tactical deployment. | > ###### **WESTERN CANADA’S PLATFORM FOR TURNING RESEARCH EXCELLENCE INTO DEFENCE CAPABILITY** | |---| ## Event Information **Location:** - **Reception:** BCIT Marine Campus, 265 Esplanade W, North Vancouver, BC - **Forum:** Ponderosa Commons Ballroom, 6445 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC **Dates:** - **Reception:** January 25, 2027 - **Forum:** January 26-28, 2027 **Registration:** Select your ticket category from [here ](#tickets)to purchase. **Contact:** Dr. Yaser Roshan, Senior Manager, Research Partnerships, UBC, at [Yaser.Roshan@ubc.ca](mailto:yaser.roshan@ubc.ca?subject=defence%20forum) ## Program At a Glance Image ![Day1](/sites/default/files/styles/original_image/public/2026-09/day1.jpg.webp?itok=8-TDaN7g) ### Advanced Dual-Use Research Ecosystems & Emerging Frontier Tech Day 1 [Detailed agenda](#da1-agenda) Image ![Day2](/sites/default/files/styles/original_image/public/2026-09/day2.jpg.webp?itok=M-Jf3PAQ) ### Commercialization, Procurement, & ITB Multiplication Day 2 [Detailed agenda](#da2-agenda) Image ![Day3](/sites/default/files/styles/original_image/public/2026-09/day3.jpg.webp?itok=feFUYzV7) ### Operational Validation, Field Testing & Tactical Deployment Day 3 [Detailed agenda](#da3-agenda) | **Reception Evening** | |---| | 17:00 – 17:30 | Registration and Networking | | | 17:30 – 17:45 | Welcome Remarks | | | 17:45 – 18:30 | Keynote Address: The Geopolitical Shift & Transatlantic Tech Cooperation in a Contested Era | Dr. Bernd Althusmann | | 18:30 – 20:00 | Networking; Marine Innovation & Simulation Showcase | | | | | **DAY 1: Advanced Dual-Use Research Ecosystems & Emerging Frontier Tech** | | 09:00 – 09:45 | Keynote Address: The Evolving Battlefield: AI, Autonomous Systems, Drones, and the Next Era of Multi-Domain Warfare | | | 09:45 – 11:00 | Panel 1: Multi-Institutional research clusters, cross-PSI collaboration, regional capabilities roadmap | | | 11:15 – 12:30 | Panel 2: Leveraging AI for situational awareness across air, land, and sea | | | 13:30 – 14:45 | Panel 3: Personnel Protection, advanced wearables and protective materials, biomedical countermeasures | | | 15:00 – 17:00 | Guided lab tours of UBC facilities | | | | | **DAY 2: Commercialization, Procurement, & ITB Multiplication** | | 09:00 – 09:30 | Keynote Address: DND/CAF Vision for Defence Procurement, Innovation Pipelines, and Capability Priorities | | | 09:30 – 11:00 | Panel 1: Engaging defence Primes & ITB multiplication, intergrating regional SMEs and PSIs into supply chains | | | 11:15 – 12:30 | Panel 2: Research security, STRAC and NSGRP compliance and practical risk mitigation | | | 13:30 – 15:00 | Panel 3: Capital platforms & Dual-use venture scaling, regional defence funds | | | 15:15 – 17:00 | Dual-use innovation pitch & showcase | | | | | **DAY 3: Operational Validation, Field Testing & Tactical Deployment** | | | 09:00 – 09:30 | Keynote Address: From Lab Bench to Extreme Environments: DRDC’s Test, Evaluation, and Field Validation Roadmap | | | 09:30 – 11:00 | Panel 1: Autonomy, counter-UAS & unmanned systems in extreme environments, resilient communications in GPS-denied situation | | | 11:15 – 12:30 | Panel 2: Accelerated Hardware-in-the-Loop & environmental testing, closing the testing gap for extreme tactical deployment | | | 13:30 – 15:30 | Regional strategy & 12-month action plan working session for Western Canada | | | 15:45 – 17:00 | Closing roundtable and wrap-up | | ## Registration #### Industry Professional ###### $160 (early bird until Nov 15, 2026) Current and valid government-issued photo ID will be REQUIRED to be presented upon check-in at the event. #### Government Employee ###### $105 (early bird until Nov 15, 2026) Current and valid government-issued photo ID from your department/agency will be REQUIRED to be presented upon check-in at the event to qualify under this attendee category. #### Academic Professional ###### $80 (early bird until Nov 15, 2026) This category is if you are attending as an employee of an accredited university/college or academic-industry liaison organization. An employee ID is REQUIRED to be presented upon check-in. #### Active Military Member ###### FREE Current and valid military-issued photo ID will be REQUIRED to be presented upon check-in at the event to qualify under this attendee category. #### Invited VIP ###### FREE This category is if you are attending as an Invited VIP. This means that you have received an invitation letter sent by e-mail by the Organizing Team. #### Speaker and Panelist ###### FREE This category is if you are attending as an Invited speaker or panelist for the Forum. This means that you have received an invitation by the Organizing Team to speak at the Forum and have already accepted the invite. **REGISTER HERE** ## Travel Information ##### **Accommodations** ###### **On-Campus Residences** UBC has rooms for all kinds of travellers. For information about the different accommodations, see [Stay at UBC](https://suitesatubc.com/). - [West Coast Suites](https://visit.ubc.ca/eat-drink-and-stay/accommodation/west-coast-suites/) at UBC - [Gage Apartments](https://vancouver.housing.ubc.ca/residences/walter-gage/) at UBC - [Carey Centre](https://careylodge.com/) at UBC ###### **Off-Campus Hotels** Vancouver has hotels at a variety of price points. Most hotels are situated downtown, although there are several near YVR Airport. There are also a variety of vacation rental services (such as [Airbnb ](https://www.airbnb.ca/)and [Vrbo](https://www.vrbo.com/)). ##### **Travel** ###### **Key Locations for the Forum** **Forum venue:** Ponderosa Commons Ballroom, 6445 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC **Reception location:** BCIT Marine Campus, 265 Esplanade W, North Vancouver, BC [Downloadable Map of UBC Vancouver (PDF)](http://planning.ubc.ca/sites/planning.ubc.ca/files/images/planning-services/UBCMap-Portrait.pdf) ###### **Travelling to Vancouver** We recommend that you travel into Vancouver International Airport (YVR) in Richmond, BC, which is approximately 12 km from Downtown Vancouver, and 15 km from The University of British Columbia. ###### **From Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to Your Hotel / UBC Campus** Transportation from the airport into the city is available in several forms: hired car services such as traditional taxis, Uber and Lyft, car rental/share services such as Evo or Zipcar, or public transportation. For your reference, a traditional taxi from YVR to UBC would take roughly $45 and about 30 minutes, where taking public transportation would take roughly $10 and 60 minutes. We recommend using Google Maps to plan your travel while visiting Vancouver, as it will provide accurate estimates for travel times and public transit schedules. ##### **Parking at UBC** There are three main Parkades available to attendees: the West Parkade, the Health Science Parkade and the Rose Garden Parkade. Locations are identified on the [UBC Parking Map](https://parking.ubc.ca/map). Parking spaces are available on a first-come, first served basis, with regular rates of $4/hr or $20.00/day and are open 24/7. Note that both regular and accessible parking at UBC can be challenging at times so please allow extra time to find a stall and get to your destination. To buy your parking permit online or check rates, see the [UBC Parking Permits & Rates](https://parking.ubc.ca/permits-rates) page.