OTTAWA, June 23, 2025 – Christyn Cianfarani, President and CEO of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), today issued the following statement in response to Canada and the European Union signing a Security and Defence Partnership:

“Today's announcement is a needed first step toward Canada’s defence industry participating in the ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 initiative. Coupled with the increase in defence spending announced by the Prime Minister on June 9, it is a strong signal that the federal government is serious about defence industrial renewal.  

From space to cyber, from naval warship systems to land combat vehicles, Canada's defence sector offers world-leading products and expertise that can contribute to EU security and boost domestic economic growth. Meaningful engagement with the defence industry and long-term strategic planning remain crucial if Canada is to reap those benefits.  

CADSI continues to call for a permanent, institutionalized defence forum that allows government and industry to work through implementation challenges and get the details right. These details include a list of key capabilities within a Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) to inform which collaborative ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 projects Canada will pursue. In tandem, the government must start unabashedly promoting Canada’s rising and established defence firms abroad.

Defence is a highly managed market, where Canadian industry takes its cues from government and the Canadian Armed Forces in terms of what capabilities will be produced domestically and championed globally. We await those details through the defence policy update, the accompanying DIS, and the next federal budget."​