Purpose

The purpose of the NATO-Private Sector Engagement (NPSE) initiative was to foster collaboration between Allied-Nation private Industry executives and NATO’s senior leadership. Sponsored by the NATO Public Diplomacy Division in partnership with the Policy Insights Forum, Industry executives received exclusive briefings on NATO priorities and areas of common interest to their businesses. Participants were also able to benefit from scheduled one-on-one sessions with select NATO country member delegations. Furthermore, business-to-business collaboration between Participants was also encouraged and continued well after the Engagement Initiative.

Context

The international environment has changed drastically in recent years, posing new dilemmas and presenting new opportunities for NATO and its thirty member-states. Canada and its Allies face significant pressure to increase defence spending and align their budgetary goals with the priorities of NATO. To achieve these goals, significant new investments in innovative technologies at the NATO and at the member-country level will be required. 

By generating interactions with senior NATO officials, the NPSE initiative enabled senior defence and security Industry executives to gain a novel perspective on NATO's global strategic needs and priorities. Direct dialogue with leading executive decision-makers allows NATO to better coordinate with the private sector and produce more significant synergies between the Alliance's Mission and the future direction of domestic Industrial allocation into the 2030s and beyond.

Program Themes:

·        Day 1: “NATO Today, Threat Environment, and Geopolitical Challenges”
·        Day 2: “Role of Technology, R&D, and Industry Partnerships”
·        Day 3: “How NATO and NATO Allies Address Procurement and Industry Relations”

Date:

The Engagement took place over three days, from Wednesday, March 30 to Friday, April 1, 2022.

Venue:

The in-person engagement was held at NATO Headquarters at Avenue Leopold III, 1110 Brussel, Belgium.

Format:

The NPSE was designed to feature 16 Keynote Speakers, and a Roundtable of prominent NATO Allied political, military, and industry leaders.

Audience:

The NPSE initiative organized by the Policy Insights Forum facilitated discussions between a wide range of medium-to-large companies in the defence sector. It showcased interest in a spectrum of collaboration areas with NATO, including critical domains such as Digital Transformation, Maritime Security, Submarines, Satellites, Cloud Technologies, Secure Communications, and Cybersecurity, among others.

Contact Information:

The Policy Insights Forum will be organizing another visit, Winter 2023. If you or your company is interested in attending the NPSE, please contact the Policy Insights Forum's Industry Liaison, Jamie Baillie (jamie.baillie@policyinsights.ca), to schedule a consultation.

Organizer Comments

Participant Responses

Engagement Highlights