Click here to visit our new markets resource hub for the latest on the evolving trade landscape
Answer a few quick questions about your business and we'll direct you to incentives, programs, and services you may be eligible for.
After 25 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, retiring as a Captain (N), I worked at both the operational edge and the executive level of government, leading complex procurement programs and long-term capability development efforts.
As the new Managing Director, Defence at Invest Nova Scotia, I now work directly with defence firms, federal and provincial partners, and international primes to strengthen Nova Scotia’s role in Canada’s evolving defence strategy and to support companies establishing and expanding operations in the province.
Nova Scotia has long been integral to Canada’s defence capability. The province is home to Canada’s East Coast navy and the country’s largest naval base, and it builds, maintains, and sustains complex marine assets at scale. A skilled trades workforce, applied research institutions, and established defence firms contribute directly to Canada’s national security and allied readiness.
That industrial base matters as Canada advances major fleet renewal and modernization efforts.
Canada’s future submarine program represents a multi-billion-dollar, multi-decade national investment. It will require specialized infrastructure, advanced technologies, skilled trades, engineering expertise, and resilient supply chains capable of sustained performance over the full lifecycle of the fleet.
Nova Scotia is positioned to lead long-term submarine sustainment, and workforce planning is advancing in collaboration with post-secondary institutions, including the Nova Scotia Community College, to align training capacity with projected demand. Engagement with international defence primes and federal partners is underway to anticipate infrastructure requirements, technology transfer considerations, and maintenance needs.
Planning is focused on ensuring that facilities, workforce capacity, and supply chain capability are in place as major programs move forward so that when Canada’s next fleet enters service, Nova Scotia has what’s required to maintain and overhaul it.
Beyond submarines, Nova Scotia’s defence activity spans naval systems, cybersecurity, training and simulation, advanced materials research, and space-based capability. Commercial launch development in Canso reflects alignment with sovereign capability priorities and secure access requirements.
The province hosts NATO’s DIANA North American headquarters in Halifax, the Defence Innovation and Security Hub (DISH), the Defence Research and Development Canada Atlantic Research Centre, one of Canada’s most modern shipyards, and a concentrated military presence. More than 300 ocean-related companies operate in Nova Scotia, many with direct defence expertise.
Nova Scotia holds one of the highest concentrations of defence spending in Canada per capita and is home to approximately 35 percent share of the country’s leading defence companies.
Through Invest Nova Scotia, I work directly with defence firms to support Industrial and Technological Benefits strategies, workforce expansion, and site selection decisions, ensuring companies can establish and scale operations with clarity and speed.
Canada’s expanding defence programs will influence industrial capacity for decades. Institutions, industry, and government are aligning now to meet the performance, security, and scale requirements these programs demand.
From infrastructure and workforce depth to supply chain integration and research capability, Nova Scotia offers a concentrated defence footprint designed for sustained fleet maintenance, modernization, and industrial growth.
Having worked in defence procurement and capability development, I understand how long-term programs are evaluated - on execution risk, workforce depth, industrial resilience, and sustained performance. Nova Scotia is structured to deliver on those criteria.
If your organization is evaluating where to anchor its next phase of defence investment in Canada, I welcome a conversation about how Nova Scotia can serve as your North American base.
Connect with Sheldon Gillis, Managing Director, Investment Attraction.
