Recently, I had the opportunity to network with many leaders from the military and industry at our 4th annual C4ISR and Beyond event that was held in Ottawa on January 30th. Engaging with some of the top experts on C4ISR in Canada was indeed an insightful experience, one that expands your grasp of the magnitude of C4ISR, while at the same time shows what a key component it is in military operations.
C4ISR and Beyond 2018 was built on the theme of Beyond Sensors with a focus on data. As you know, we are gathering data at a phenomenal rate which can be quite overwhelming, but to get the right use of it, we need to ride the wave of data instead than being drowned in it.
Sessions throughout the day provided attendees with the ideas, capabilities that can be implemented when wrestling with data overload, how to effectively use C4ISR to interoperate and enable desired operational outcomes. It was amazing to see the interaction between the military and industry. To get an overview of the event, be sure to read pages 32-35.
At the time of penning this editorial note, we are busy putting the final touches on yet another event that Vanguard will be hosting on March 1st, the Shipbuilding Technology Forum. Set on the theme of Agility through Technology, this event will showcase emerging technologies, address a range of marine and shipbuilding issues as well as ship repair and the advantages they provide for growth and export. This event facilitates a meaningful dialogue between industry, government and military to provide stakeholders with the knowledge and share lessons learned from a technological perspective with the aim to showcase successful investments in cutting-edge technologies in shipbuilding.
The keynote address at this event will be presented by Andy Smith, Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Shipbuilding, Canadian Coast Guard on Seas of Change – Coast Guard Adaptation and Innovation. To learn more visit, vanguardcanada.com//shipbuilding2018.
In this issue, I am excited to share with you an interview with Andy Smith. Andy talks about his short-term goals, the future of shipbuilding for the Coast Guard, opportunities for Canada’s marine industry, obstacles, challenges and programs that he is excited about.
Alain Martel, Professor Emeritus, Université Laval, Québec and Sophie Martel Master of Engineering, Canadian Forces’ Decoration (CD), Gatineau, have a thought-provoking piece on how analytics can be leveraged to help develop robust value-creating Defence Enterprise Systems (DESs).
In their article, Andre Dupuis, President of Space Strategies Consulting Ltd and Maria Rey, Vice-President and Chief Science Officer of Space Strategies Consulting Ltd, talk about how Canada has a unique advantage as an early innovator of space-based Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) capabilities.
Andrew Kendrick, Vice President Operations, Vard Marine Inc. in his article entitled, Marine Fuels in a Low(er) Emissions World, writes about the different types of fuels and how natural gas, which is cheaper than most fossil fuels in many parts of the world, provides Canada with a distinct advantage of a less expensive fuel solution.
As usual, I’m excited to share with you the Game Changers for this issue: Dr. Ben Cecil, Chief Executive Officer, The Canadian Centre for Product Validation at Fanshawe College; Jordan Kyriakidis, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of QRA Corp and Farhoud Shirzadi, Chief Executive Officer of VSETA.
I hope you enjoy reading the many insightful articles in this issue, please click on the image below to view.
