QUANTUM NOW | DEFSEC
Converting Canada's quantum leadership into operational advantage
May 25, 2026
Canadian War Museum | Ottawa
Hosted by:
QUANTUM NOW | DEFSEC
Canada has named quantum a sovereign capability. Now it’s time to operationalize it.
QUANTUM NOW | DEFSEC is a one-day, executive-level forum focused on turning Canada’s quantum strengths into deployed capability. It convenes Canada’s quantum technology sector, key ecosystem partners, and defence, security, and policy leaders to work through what it will take to move from promising technologies to operational systems.
Grounded in real missions, real constraints, and real timelines, this discussion centres on how Canada executes — moving from technical promise to operational advantage.
Limited capacity.
Register today to secure your spot:
EVENT PROGRAM
Grounded in real missions, real constraints, and real timelines, the day will focus on:
- Where quantum capabilities can be integrated into defence and security systems in the near to mid-term
- What it takes to move from technical validation to fielded capability
- How Canada’s quantum industry and government can work together more effectively to deliver frontier capability at the speed of relevance
- How Canada executes on its Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) and engages with allies, including its Build-Partner-Buy framework, to deliver and scale quantum-enabled capability
08:15 to 08:45
REGISTRATION
REGISTRATION
08:45 to 10:15
BLOCK ONE | THE DEMAND SIGNAL
BLOCK ONE | THE DEMAND SIGNAL
| 08:45 | Welcome and Opening Remarks |
| 09:10 | The Quantum SITREP: Where Things Actually Stand Before the day’s conversations begin, the room gets a shared, current baseline. What is happening now in the quantum defence and security landscape — across military systems and critical infrastructure. What our allies and adversaries are building and investing in. Where Canada stands relative to both. Precise, current, and unvarnished. |
| 09:25 | The National Security Case for Quantum 5-10 min primer from Wendy Hadwen, ADM DND (TBC) on DIS, sovereign capabilities, why quantum is one, then into panel. Digital infrastructure underpins every system Canada depends on — military, economic, and civil. Quantum is the next layer. Who can see, communicate, navigate, and trust the integrity of their systems will be determined by who gets there first. That transition is already underway. This conversation sets the terms for the day. Senior voices from Canadian defence, national security, and the quantum technology sector work through what quantum means for Canada’s security — military and economic — and what it will take to lead that transition rather than respond to it. |
10:15 to 10:40
HEALTH BREAK
HEALTH BREAK
10:40 to 12:20
BLOCK TWO | CAPABILITY AT READINESS
BLOCK TWO | CAPABILITY AT READINESS
| 10:40 | Quantum for Defence: Capability on Stage — Part 1 Three Canadian quantum technology companies. Five minutes each. Two questions per company: why does this matter to operators and how close is it to the field? These are not investor pitches. They are mission-grounded presentations of where the technology stands today and what it takes to get it into the field — delivered by the companies building it, to an audience with the authority to move it forward. |
| 11:05 | What Makes a Quantum System Military Grade? Laboratory and proof of concept performance is the starting point, not the finish line. Getting a quantum system into operational service means meeting a demanding and specific set of requirements: qualification standards, certification pathways, platform integration, and survivability in harsh and contested environments over decades of service life. This session maps that pathway honestly, with the firms developing quantum systems, the primes and integrators responsible for platform architecture, and the government bodies that define what operational deployment actually requires. Where Canada is already meeting the bar and where it needs to move faster. |
| 11:55 | Quantum for Defence: Capability on Stage — Part 2 Three Canadian quantum technology companies. Five minutes each. Two questions per company: why does this matter to operators and how close is it to the field? These are not investor pitches. They are mission-grounded presentations of where the technology stands today and what it takes to get it into the field — delivered by the companies building it, to an audience with the authority to move it forward. |
12:20 to 13:15
LUNCH
LUNCH
13:15 to 15:00
BLOCK THREE | THE PATH TO FIELDED
BLOCK THREE | THE PATH TO FIELDED
| 13:15 | Quantum-Ready from the Outset: The Platform Decisions Happening Now Canada is making generational investments in submarines, surface combatants, Arctic surveillance systems, and secure communications networks — platforms that will define Canada’s defence posture into the 2060s. The decisions being made about their architecture today will determine whether quantum capability is built in from the start or added later at far greater cost. This session examines what quantum-enabled means for the programs at that inflection point, and what it takes to ensure Canada’s quantum sector is in that design conversation while the opportunity is still open. |
| 14:00 | From the Field Up: How the CAF Thinks About Emerging Capability, Requirements, and Lifecycle Planning The most important question in quantum defence isn’t what the technology can do — it’s what the Canadian Armed Forces needs it to do, and how that translates into a capability requirement. This fireside goes inside that process: how the CAF evaluates emerging technology, what a capability needs to demonstrate before it enters serious operational planning, and where quantum sits in that conversation today. |
| 14:25 | Financing the Frontier: Capital in the Quantum Defence Stack A Canadian quantum firm with an operational defence deployment is a different company — better capitalised, more competitive internationally, and positioned to grow. Defence is the first mover for quantum because the mission environment demands these capabilities ahead of most civilian markets, and the firms that get there will anchor Canada’s position in a technology sector that spans military systems, critical infrastructure, and global supply chains. This session examines the full capital picture — venture, growth, and public financing — and what it takes to build the funding architecture that gets Canadian quantum firms across that threshold. |
15:10 to 15:35
HEALTH BREAK
HEALTH BREAK
15:35 to 17:15
BLOCK FOUR | CAPABILITY AT HOME, CAPACITY TOGETHER
BLOCK FOUR | CAPABILITY AT HOME, CAPACITY TOGETHER
| 15:35 | Capability at Home, Capacity Together — Part One: Capability at Home (Panel) Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy makes an explicit commitment: Build-Partner-Buy. Quantum is the first real test of whether that commitment holds. It is the sector where Canada has named a sovereign capability, where it’s a globally recognized pioneer, where the industry is coordinated and engaged, and where the policy framework is fully in place. If the institutional machinery — requirements engagement, procurement tempo, contracting pathways — cannot deliver here, the signal that sends runs across the entire strategy. This conversation examines what delivery requires in the next twelve to twenty-four months: the process changes, the relationship commitments, and the actions that will determine whether quantum becomes the proof of concept for a generational shift in how Canada builds sovereign industrial capability. |
| 16:15 | Capability at Home, Capacity Together — Part Two: Capacity Together (Panel) Quantum defence capability is being built across allied nations — and the supply chains, standards, and partnerships taking shape now will define who is at the table for the next generation of allied capability development. But the stakes extend beyond defence. The collaborative frameworks, investment relationships, and industrial partnerships that allies build together will also shape the emergence of a global quantum industry — determining which nations’ firms lead it, which supply chains anchor it, and which standards define it. This conversation brings allied and partner voices together to examine what collaboration looks like in practice: what interoperability requires, what is already working, and where the most immediate opportunities lie to build capability together — strengthening each nation’s sovereign position and the collective advantage that depends on it. |
| 16:50 | What Has to Be True (Moderated wrap-up) The day ends not with a summary but with a forward commitment. Leading voices from the DND/CAF, Canada’s quantum sector, and the federal government — each answer one question: What has to be true, from your seat, for this to work? |
| 17:05 | Closing Remarks |
| 17:12 | Wrap Up |
17:15 to 19:00
NETWORKING RECEPTION SPONSORED BY Q-BLOCK
NETWORKING RECEPTION SPONSORED BY Q-BLOCK
speakers
Director General
Quantum and Nanotechnologies Research Centre
National Research Council Canada
Investment Director — Climate and Deep Tech Venture Capital
Fonds de solidarité FTQ
Michael Rosenblatt
Director — National Quantum Strategy Secretariat
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Assistant Deputy Minister – Science and Research
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
More speakers to be announced soon.
speakers
VENUE
Limited capacity.
Register today to secure your spot:
HOsted by
strategic partners
stage partner
Networking Reception sponsor
Event partners
FAQs
What is QUANTUM NOW | DEFSEC?
QUANTUM NOW | DEFSEC is a one-day, executive-level forum focused on turning Canada’s quantum strengths into deployed capability. It convenes Canada’s defence, security, and policy leaders alongside the country’s quantum technology sector and critical delivery partners to work through what it will take to move from promising technologies to operational systems.
Who should attend QUANTUM NOW | DEFSEC?
QUANTUM NOW | DEFSEC is designed for senior leaders involved in shaping, delivering, or adopting advanced capabilities in defence and security.
This includes:
- Defence and security leadership (DND, CAF, CSE, Public Safety and related agencies)
- Federal and provincial departments and policymakers engaged in national security, innovation, and industrial strategy
- Canadian and allied quantum companies across sensing, communications, computing, and enabling technologies
- Prime contractors and system integrators
- Strategic capital, including venture and public investment
- Key ecosystem partners supporting capability development and deployment
The convening is structured to bring together participants across the full delivery chain — from technology development through to integration and operational use — enabling focused, executive-level discussion.
How much does it cost to register?
QUANTUM NOW | DEFSEC offers three registration types, reflecting the mix of participants across the forum:
General Registration — $750 + HST
For industry, capital, academia, and ecosystem organizations.
QIC Member & Affiliate Registration — $400 + HST
For employees of QIC member and affiliate organizations.
(Company email may be used for verification.)
Government, Allied Armed Forces & Diplomatic Registration — $175 + HST
For government employees, active members of allied armed forces, and diplomatic representatives.
(Work email may be used for verification. Valid government, military, or diplomatic ID required at check-in.)
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Registration — FREE
For active members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). (Work email may be used for verification. Valid military ID required at check-in.)
What is included with the registration?
Registration includes access to the full-day program on May 25, lunch, and the evening networking reception sponsored by Q-Block Computing.
Who is organizing QUANTUM NOW?
QUANTUM NOW | DEFSEC is organized by Quantum Industry Canada (QIC) with support from the National Research Council Canada (NRC) and Canada’s National Quantum Strategy.
Is this a technical conference?
No. The forum is focused on operational and strategic implications, not technical deep dives. It is designed for decision-makers working at the intersection of technology, defence, and security.
What level of quantum knowledge is required to attend?
No prior expertise in quantum is required.
QUANTUM NOW | DEFSEC is designed to make the topic accessible and decision-relevant for senior leaders.
Whether you’re already working in the space or engaging with quantum for the first time, you’ll come away with a clear understanding of where it matters and what to do about it.
Will there be opportunities to connect with quantum technology companies?
Yes! The forum brings together senior leaders from across Canada’s quantum industry, alongside defence, government, and ecosystem partners.
As one of the world’s most concentrated quantum ecosystems, Canada offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with technology developers, understand current and emerging capabilities, and explore applications and collaborations for defence and security.
There will be networking opportunities throughout the day, including a dedicated evening reception to wrap up the event.
Are sponsorship opportunities available?
Yes. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available for QUANTUM NOW | DEFSEC.
For more information about sponsorship please contact the Quantum Industry Canada (QIC) team directly at quantumnow@quantumindustrycanada.ca.
Note that speaking roles are curated as part of the program. Sponsorship does not guarantee participation in the program.
What is the refund policy?
Due to limited capacity, registrations are non-refundable.
If you are unable to attend, ticket transfers may be requested up to May 20, 2026. We will do our best to accommodate these requests.