Medicine Hat hosts defence tradeshow and forum this week
Organizers say more than $1 billion in local defence and research projects are already underway as southeastern Alberta positions itself for national investment.
Why it matters
The events signal potential job growth and investment for southeastern Alberta as national defence spending expands over the next decade.
Medicine Hat is hosting two events this week aimed at exploring defence industry opportunities for southeastern Alberta. A Defence Growth Tradeshow runs Wednesday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Medicine Hat Lodge, bringing together businesses, industry organizations, government support agencies and technology developers. Exhibits include rockets, a supersonic uncrewed aerial vehicle, a weather-balloon drone system and an uncrewed helicopter target drone.
A Defence Growth Forum follows Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., also at the Medicine Hat Lodge, though ticket sales have closed. The forum will gather industry leaders, researchers and government representatives to discuss defence procurement, aerospace innovation, manufacturing and workforce development, with sessions on federal funding programs and the role of drone technology in regional growth.
Organizers say more than $1 billion in local defence and research modernization projects are already underway, while more than $500 billion in national defence investments are planned over the next decade. Discussions will focus on how the region, including Canadian Forces Base Suffield and the Foremost Uncrewed Aerial Systems Test Range, can capture a share of that spending.
Speakers include representatives from ATB Financial, the Suffield Research Centre, CFB Suffield, the Business Development Bank of Canada, the National Research Council, the University of Alberta, EllisDon and several private aerospace and defence firms. Sessions will also address training pathways for students into science, technology, engineering and math careers tied to future defence and aviation jobs. The events are organized by Community Futures Entre-Corp and the APEX Regional Innovation Network.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.