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* Schedule subject to change. To stay up to date, please check back often. * |
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2025 ConvergX®Congress Agenda |
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| Monday – 22 September | |
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08:00 – 12:00 14:00 – 16:00
16:00 – 20:00 |
Invite Only Executive Roundtable – Defence Research & Development Canada (DRDC) Invite Only Executive Roundtable – Hosted by Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Welcome Reception (Calgary Petroleum Club) |
| Tuesday – 23 September | |
| 7:30 – 8:00 | Breakfast |
| 8:00 – 8:15 |
Welcome & Opening Remarks Kimberley Van Vliet – Founder & CEO WaVv and ConvergX®; Cdn Delegation NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) |
| 8:15 – 8:45 |
Welcome from the Province – Minister Joseph Schow Opening Keynote – Deputy Minister National Defence Stefanie Beck
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| 8:45 – 10:00 |
Session #1 – ConvergX-U
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| 10:00 – 10:15 | Break |
| 10:15-11:30 |
Panel #2 – Industrial Sovereignty & Strategic Supply Chains “Industrial Sovereignty: Securing Strategic Supply Chains in a Fragmented World” Supply chains are no longer just about efficiency—they are about resilience, sovereignty, and survival. From critical minerals and microelectronics to aerospace components and energy infrastructure, global instability is forcing governments and industries to rethink where, how, and with whom they build and source. This session brings together leaders from defence, energy, mining, and manufacturing to explore how strategic partnerships, dual-use innovation, and domestic industrial capacity can safeguard national and allied interests. With the rise of export controls, re-shoring initiatives, and global decoupling, securing trusted, transparent, and sovereign supply chains is now a matter of national security. Panelists:
Moderator – Ret’d BGen (RCAF) Sylvain Bedard – Global Strategic Relations WaVv |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Pre-Lunch Reception & Networking |
| 12:00 – 13:30 |
Lunch & Keynote Speaker VAdm Angus Topshee – Commander Royal Canadian Navy |
| 13:30 – 14:45 |
Panel #3 – Energy “Global Energy Security: Innovation, Infrastructure & The Race to Resilience” The global energy landscape is being redrawn in real time. Supply chains are strained. Infrastructure is under threat. Transition goals are accelerating. The stakes? National sovereignty, economic security, and climate resilience. In this powerful ConvergX 2025 session, international energy leaders, policy advisors, and innovation experts explore how the convergence of defence, energy, and emerging technologies is reshaping how we power the planet. From cyber-hardened grids and secure LNG to hydrogen corridors and dual-use energy tech in conflict zones—this is where energy strategy meets national security. If you’re in energy, finance, defence, or infrastructure, you can’t afford to miss this conversation. Panelists:
Moderator – Kevin Wong – Founder – DediCorp and Gen2Tax |
| 14:45 – 15:15 | Break |
| 15:15 – 16:30 |
Panel #4 – Global Defence “Global Defence in the Age of Convergence: Resilience, Readiness, and Dual-Use Disruption” In today’s multipolar world, defence is no longer the responsibility of governments alone. It is a shared imperative—one that draws on innovation from aerospace, energy, AI, cyber, and beyond. This powerhouse panel unites leaders from across NATO, space, cybersecurity, and advanced tech to explore how the future of defence is being shaped by cross-sector convergence. Join us for a high-impact session that will challenge assumptions, surface unexpected partnerships, and offer practical insights into building resilient, dual-use, and interoperable capabilities to meet tomorrow’s threats Panelists:
Moderator – Ret’d BGen (RCAF) Sylvain Bedard – Global Strategic Relations WaVv |
| 16:30 – 16:45 | Announcements and housekeeping for Day 2 and Evening Reception |
| 16:45 – 20:00 | Evening Networking Reception, Entertainment and Spirits Tasting ( Location TBC) |
| Wednesday – 24 September | |
| 7:30 – 8:00 | Breakfast |
| 8:00 – 8:15 |
Welcome & Opening Remarks Kimberley Van Vliet – Founder & CEO WaVv and ConvergX®; NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) |
| 8:15 – 8:45 |
Keynote Dr. Jay Morris – Mayo Clinic |
| 8:45 – 10:00 |
Panel #5 – Sub-Surface to Space “From Sub-Surface to Space: Securing Strategic Advantage Across All Domains” In today’s complex threat environment, the lines between air, sea, land, cyber, and space have blurred—and so have the technologies that serve them. From deep-sea energy infrastructure to stratospheric drones and sovereign satellite networks, national security and economic resilience now require integrated capabilities that operate across the full vertical battlespace. This ConvergX 2025 session brings together defence leaders, energy innovators, and space technology pioneers to explore how we can build connected, resilient, and interoperable systems—from the ocean floor to low-Earth orbit. We’ll examine dual-use tech that crosses domains—undersea comms, space-based ISR, offshore-to-orbit logistics, critical minerals tracking, and integrated domain awareness—delivering the strategic advantage Allied nations demand. Panelists:
Moderator – Kevin Wong – Founder – DediCorp and Gen2Tax |
| 10:00 – 10:15 | Break |
| 10:15 – 11:30 |
Panel #6 –Workforce 2040: Building Talent for Cross-Domain, Tech-Driven Industry “Addressing talent gaps, security clearance pathways, and workforce upskilling across aerospace, energy, mining, and cyber-intensive sectors.” As technologies converge across energy, aerospace, defence, mining, and AI, the next generation of talent must be multidisciplinary, security-cleared, digitally fluent, and globally aware. The industries driving national resilience and innovation in 2040 will demand a workforce that can operate across sectors—and across domains. This session brings together executives, educators, military leaders, and innovation strategists to explore how to build, scale, and sustain the human capital needed for a tech-driven, mission-critical future. From digital trades and STEM pathways to national service models, cyber readiness, and AI literacy—this session explores how to align education, training, and recruitment with the industries reshaping our world. Panelists:
Moderator –Aufel Tabora – PhilCan Industries |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Pre-Lunch Reception & Networking |
| 12:00 – 13:30 |
Lunch & Keynote Speaker BGen LW (Wade) Rutland – Commander Joint Task Force (West) and 3rd Canadian Division – Canadian Armed Forces |
| 13:30 – 14:45 |
Panel #7 – Arctic & Remote Operations: Technologies for Sovereignty, Safety, and Sustainability “Leveraging autonomous systems, energy innovation, and satellite assets to support defence, energy, and infrastructure missions in the Far North and beyond.” The Arctic is no longer a frontier—it’s a frontline. As climate change accelerates accessibility, the Far North has become a focal point for sovereignty, resource security, and geostrategic competition. For Canada and its Allies, operational effectiveness in remote and extreme environments is no longer optional—it’s essential. This session brings together innovators, military leaders, Indigenous partners, and infrastructure experts to explore technologies enabling safe, sustainable, and secure operations in Arctic and remote regions. From autonomous logistics and space-based surveillance to clean energy microgrids and resilient communications, this panel will showcase how multi-domain innovation is reshaping how we operate in the most unforgiving—and geopolitically vital—terrain on Earth.
Panelists:
Moderator – Ret’d BGen (RCAF) Sylvain Bedard – Global Strategic Relations – WaVv |
| 14:45 – 15:15 | Break |
| 15:15 – 16:30 |
Panel #8 – NATO, Five Eyes & The Future of Allied Innovation “How cross-border R&D, funding, and policy are enabling faster adoption of cutting-edge, dual-use technologies to ensure strategic readiness.” In an era of great power competition, rapid technological change, and fragmented supply chains, NATO and Five Eyes allies must move faster than ever to secure innovation, scale dual-use solutions, and defend strategic interoperability. This session convenes defence leaders, government officials, and industry innovators to explore how cross-border collaboration is driving technological edge in AI, cyber, ISR, space, and sustainability. From DIANA and NATO SpaceNet to NORAD modernization and joint procurement, Allied nations are transforming how innovation is funded, sourced, and deployed. How can Canada and its partners lead this wave of Allied industrial modernization—and ensure trusted tech development in an increasingly divided world?
Panelists:
Moderator – Ret’d BGen (RCAF) Sylvain Bedard – Global Strategic Relations – WaVv |
| 16:30 – 17:45 | Closing Keynote & Wrap Up Reception |