Maple Shield 2026
Canada’s Premier National Security Conference
Maple Shield, the NSCOESN’s flagship event, will take place on 2–3 March 2026, convening practitioners, analysts, researchers, specialists, advisors, and senior decision-makers representing defence, security, technology, finance, law, policy, and politics.
Join us in Ottawa for Canada’s most important national security dialogue with domestic and international partners.
Our common national security threats:
- Domestic and transnational organized crime
- Synthetic drug production and distribution
- Child to adult exploitation
- Cybercrime
- Terrorist and violent extremism
- Migrant smuggling
Conference schedule
Day 1: March 2, 2026
Registration and coffee
08:00 – 08:30
Opening statements
08:30 – 08:45
Under the influence
A candid discussion on challenges of foreign influence, organized crime, and more, all under the view of national security. Panelists include representatives of related domestic and international public sector departments and agencies.
08:45 – 09:45
Thinking spies & spying thinkers
A conversation on academic and industry research security, the panelists from academia, private, and public sector will describe their Canadian up-and-coming tech, how they manage their security concerns, and what they are doing for Canada and Canadian interests.
10:00 – 11:00
From GC to GC, responsible AI in the military domain
Hear from one of the 18 Global Commissioners on the responsible use of AI in the military domain (REAIM), who has collaborated with over 90 additional international representatives from around the world. If you’re using or developing AI capability in support of military missions, don’t miss this session.
11:15 – 12:15
Lunch break
12:15 – 13:45
Seeking life near the Dead Sea
By invitation only and limited to 40 seats, listen to views from opposing guests.
12:50 – 13:35
A different Cold War
The international system is entering a new era of strategic friction—one not defined by the bipolar rigidity of the 20th-century Cold War, but by a complex, multipolar contest for influence, resources, security, and technological dominance. Nowhere is this more evident than in the evolving triangle of interactions among Russia, China, and the United States, and their increasingly assertive posture toward Arctic nations such as Canada and Denmark (Greenland).
13:45 – 14:45
Schrödinger’s poison martini
From the NIST quantum algorithm competition to post-quantum resistant and safe algorithms used in the field, how is Canada doing? From policy to software to mathematics. A discussion with academia, private, and public sector representatives.
15:00 – 16:00
Darkness over the Black Sea
By invitation only and limited to 40 seats, listen to views from opposing guests.
16:15 – 17:00
Gala dinner: Protocol, prosecco, and power
An evening where diplomacy, strategy, and subtle influence take centre stage. Guests navigate a series of real-world geopolitical dilemmas in a table-based game, with each team representing the Prime Minister. Choices of “A or B” ripple through the evening, testing foresight, judgment, and the ability to anticipate global developments. As Prosecco flows and courses are served, alliances are tested, strategies debated, and the most prescient teams emerge victorious. Protocol is observed, power is exercised, and influence is both practiced and enjoyed, in the spirit of “National Security” and “Excellence.”
19:30 – 23:00
Day 2: March 3, 2026
Registration and coffee
08:00 – 08:30
Opening statements & day 1 recap
08:30 – 08:45
Quantum-mania
What is the near-manic obsession with Quantum? How are companies and governments planning to ready hardware and facility capability? The discussion will feature panelists from academia, private, and public sector describing the challenges of the equipment and science specifically surrounding quantum computing.
08:45 – 09:45
Dignity without borders
Why can’t human dignity migrate? Challenges of refugees, migrants, and immigration are not just a Canadian or financial matter. Invited public sector panelists from various parts of the world will discuss the changing landscape of agriculture to climate to the theatre of operations.
10:00 – 11:00
Jurisdictional drift, ultra vires, and the rise of data sovereignty
As governments and critical infrastructure adopt cloud technologies, questions of authority, jurisdiction, and control over state data are no longer abstract — they are central to national and digital security. This session examines the challenges to data sovereignty in the cloud era and how public and private actors navigate evolving frameworks to ensure that data control aligns with sovereign interests. Legal experts, industry innovators, and public sector leaders will share insights on the risks, realities, and emerging practices shaping data governance in Canada and beyond.
11:15 – 12:15
Lunch break
12:15 – 13:45
Tsunamis swirling in the South China Sea
By invitation only and limited to 40 seats, listen to views from opposing guests.
12:50 – 13:35
Advancing trade in the era of nationalism
Looking ahead after the list of 2024 and 2025 national elections across the world, is Canada able to reposition and increase trade? Are sanctions really working? Why are leaders interested in BRICS economic union? Domestic and international panelists will discuss their perspectives.
13:45 – 14:45
Organized crime: a generational tax
We romanticize organized crime, but at what cost? Human trafficking and smuggling, sexual exploitation, illicit drugs, political influence, and so much more somehow do not get attention as these criminal groups integrate into society.
15:00 – 16:00
Closing
16:00 – 16:30
Partners
Media accreditation
Media representatives intending to cover this conference or parts thereof must obtain media accreditation. The process is open to journalists (print, radio, television, and online) on assignment with a bona fide media organization.
Individuals performing journalistic functions who do not work for a media organization will have to provide proof of recent publicly available articles under the applicant’s by-line under a bona fide media organization.
Government officials, representatives, or observers are not considered accredited media.
Contact us at media@nscoesn.ca to validate your media accreditation for Maple Shield.