The 13th Maritime & Arctic Security & Safety Conference (MASS) will be held June 14216 at the Convention Centre in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, with ACADA as host and Saab Canada as presenter.
ACADA President and CEO Victoria Belbin said the program will examine the unique challenges and opportunities in the maritime environment and the Arctic and high north, while also drawing together industry innovators and government and military leaders.
MASS 2026 agenda: Arctic partnerships, multi-domain operations and uncrewed systems
Organizers have built MASS 2026 around themed panels covering Arctic opportunities and northern partnerships, regional capabilities for Arctic and maritime security, and multi-domain operations in the Arctic environment. The agenda also includes panels on partnership as capability in Arctic security and autonomous (uncrewed) systems in the high north.
Belbin also framed MASS as a non-duplicative forum, saying the conference is not competing with other defense and security events while still focusing on the Arctic and maritime environment. She said the international event showcases how Canadian companies are advancing safety, security, and resilience at home and abroad through technologies, services and research.
Littoral OpTech returns to MASS 2026 as a combined conference
The Littoral OpTech Workshop will be held as part of MASS this year, with Belbin describing it as a partnership that aligns with Saabs longstanding role supporting OpTech workshops and global littoral research.
Retired Swedish Navy Capt. Bo Wallander, who has chaired all Littoral OpTech workshops since 2013, said the workshops bring together partners with advanced technical, policy and operational expertise to identify technologies and concepts for effective littoral operations. He defined littoral environments as where land meets the sea, characterized by constrained waters, dense maritime activity, and complex multi-domain operational challenges compounded in the Arctic.
Wallander said earlier OpTech workshop participation was by invitation only, but integrating the program into MASS 2026 makes the workshop open to everyone.
High north context: Canadas operating environment and active icebreaker programs
Belbins conference framing sits against a specific operational geography: Canadas high north includes more than 36,000 islands surrounded by the Arctic Ocean. The programs materials point to increased openness of the Arctic waters versus decades pastdriving more commercial, military and pleasure boat trafficwhile emphasizing that ice, heavy seas and extreme cold make maritime presence problematic despite overall warming.
Several current Canadian maritime capability efforts also feature in the event context: the Canadian Coast Guard is procuring new icebreakers from Seaspans Vancouver Shipyards and Chantier Davie in Levis, Quebec, and it has started a new program for up to six Mid-Shore Multi-Mission Vessels (MSMMs). The Royal Canadian Navy has commissioned five of its six Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPVs), with the sixth delivered and expected to be commissioned this year. The Coast Guard is also procuring its own AOPV variant, with one launched and awaiting sea trials and another under construction at Irving Shipbuildings Halifax Shipyard.
Canada is also partnering with the U.S. on icebreaker design under an agreement involving the trilateral Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) with Finland and Canada, supporting the U.S. Coast Guards fleet of six new icebreakers.
Registration momentum and expected attendance
Organizers said more than 250 people have already registered for MASS 2026, and they are expecting more than 400 registrants.
Belbin also described MASS as a premier forum for addressing complex, multi-domain defense challenges facing northern and maritime regions, and said combining MASS 2026 with Littoral OpTech unites two platforms focused on maritime security, operational excellence and technological innovation.