Programme in development · Canada

Frontline-to-CapabilityForum

From adaptation lessons to accountable capability decisions.

The Forum

Turning operational lessons into practical Canadian pathways.

The Frontline-to-Capability Forum is a proposed series of closed, decision-focused sessions for institutions, industrial partners, innovators and authorised specialists.

Its purpose is to translate relevant frontline adaptation lessons into practical choices for programme design, testing, industrial mobilisation and adoption. Participation and institutional roles are confirmed separately for each session.

Focus areas

01Defence and dual-use innovation
02Drones, UAS and counter-UAS
03Critical infrastructure protection and resilience
04AI, autonomy, sensors and secure systems
05Operational validation and procurement readiness

Intended decision outcomes

Direct dialogue between operational experts and Canadian innovators
Clearer understanding of real operational needs
Ukraine-informed evaluation of emerging technologies
Identification of validation scenarios and pilot opportunities
Defined follow-up decisions across defence, industry, infrastructure and research

Beyond the Forum

A controlled format for turning relevant experience into defined questions, evidence needs, accountable owners and practical next steps.

Independent reference activity

Experience that informs the concept

The activity below belongs to the named organisations, including Snake Island Institute and We Build Ukraine. It provides context for the Forum concept; it is not presented as Snake Island Lab delivery, a client relationship, government representation or guaranteed access.

Only activity with a direct public reference is displayed. Images appear only where reuse has been cleared for this site.

Event image pending rights verification

Washington, D.C., United States

Snake Island InstituteConference

Air Defense in the Drone Age: Lessons from Ukraine

Washington, D.C., United States · 25 March 2026

A Washington conference translating Ukraine’s operational air-defence experience into lessons for U.S. policymakers and defence practitioners. Ukrainian military professionals addressed missile and drone threats, adaptation and battlefield-driven innovation.

Organisation role: Co-organized by Snake Island Institute and With Honor

Air DefenseDrones & Autonomous SystemsPolicy & International Cooperation

Primary source ↗

Event image pending rights verification

New York, United States

Snake Island InstituteForum

Defending the Skies: Ukraine’s Lessons for Allies

New York, United States · 31 March 2026

A New York discussion based on the Holding Back the Sky report, focused on Ukraine’s experience countering missile and drone threats. Active-duty Ukrainian personnel and allied security experts translated combat lessons into guidance for allied air and infrastructure defence.

Organisation role: Co-organized by Snake Island Institute

Air DefenseDrones & Autonomous SystemsPolicy & International Cooperation

Primary source ↗

Event image pending rights verification

Munich, Germany

Snake Island InstituteConference

Drone Warfare and European Security

Munich, Germany · February 2026

An official Munich Security Conference side-event panel examining how unmanned systems and battlefield innovation are changing warfare, procurement, deterrence and Europe’s security architecture. The discussion connected Ukrainian defence-technology expertise to a leading transatlantic security forum.

Organisation role: With participation from Snake Island Institute

EuropeDrones & Autonomous SystemsPolicy & International Cooperation

Event image from the Snake Island Institute activity page; reuse rights to be confirmed.

Primary source ↗

Event image pending rights verification

Brussels, Belgium

We Build UkraineConference

Readiness 2030: New Framework for Ukrainian-European Partnership

Brussels, Belgium · 21 May 2025

A European Parliament conference on using Ukraine’s wartime experience to strengthen European defence cooperation, investment and resilience. Cross-party policymakers, Ukrainian experts and defence-industry leaders considered practical pathways for Ukraine–EU security cooperation.

Organisation role: Co-organized by We Build Ukraine

EuropeDefense Industry & InvestmentPolicy & International Cooperation

Primary source ↗

Event image pending rights verification

Ukraine

Snake Island InstituteField Test

Strike UGV Crash Test: Engineering Under Fire

Ukraine · October 2025

A practical evaluation programme for strike unmanned ground vehicles under operationally relevant stress. The programme is a direct example of structured field testing focused on reliability, defence engineering and product validation.

Organisation role: Organized by Snake Island Institute

UkraineDrones & Autonomous SystemsTesting & Validation

Operational-security and product-identification restrictions must be checked before publication.

Primary source ↗

Event image pending rights verification

Lviv, Ukraine

Snake Island InstituteForum

Forum of Strike UGVs: Bridging the Frontline and Innovation

Lviv, Ukraine · August 2025

A focused forum connecting Ukrainian frontline personnel with developers and manufacturers of strike unmanned ground vehicles. It established a practical precedent for structured dialogue between operational users and technology teams.

Organisation role: Organized by Snake Island Institute

UkraineDrones & Autonomous SystemsDefense Tech

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Event image pending rights verification

Kyiv, Ukraine

We Build UkraineClosed Roundtable

Joint Ventures in the Defense Industry

Kyiv, Ukraine · July 2026

A practical discussion on combining Ukrainian technology and combat expertise with foreign capital, production, certification and access to global markets. Participants addressed joint ventures, intellectual property, export controls, investment screening and financing.

Organisation role: Co-organized by We Build Ukraine

UkraineDefense Industry & InvestmentPolicy & International Cooperation

Primary source ↗