In this episode of the Insights Podcast, we focus on Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy and the impact of that strategy on Atlantic Canada. Building ships for the navy is a complex and complicated endeavour and there is probably no other group than the Irvings that were capable of competing and winning a national bid to build those ships in Halifax. Irving Shipbuilding has 2,400 people working to complete the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) portion of their contract and is readying to begin to build the combatant "River Class" ships. They have developed a skilled and capable workforce and provided Canada with a sovereign ability to build its own military ships. The company has already spent more than $500 million in the region since the beginning of the AOPS program and contracts with more than 130 companies across the region. In our conversation with their CEO, Dirk Lesko, a veteran shipbuilder, he talks about the further investments needed to prepare for the combatant program, his pride in his leadership group and labour force and how the current shipbuilding facilities compare globally. It is a big deal for our region and well worth a listen.

This episode of the Insights Podcast features a very interesting conversation with Mike Fenton, the CEO of ACG Toronto (Association for Corporate Growth), an organization that brings deal makers together to help them achieve their business and professional goals. ACG was founded in1954 and promotes itself as the premier M&A making community with more than 100,000 members in 61 markets. Atlantic Canada has caught the attention of ACG who will be hosting its third Atlantic Network Conference on September 18th focusing on the growing investment opportunities within the region. More than 200 investors are expected to attend this year's conference including the Northeast US and Central Canada. Mike provides a great overview of the work of ACG and why Atlantic Canada is becoming increasingly of interest to those outside the region as an investment opportunity. It reinforces our opinion that our economy is in transition, and it posed for transformational economic change. Attracting outside capital interest confirms that belief.

Our latest Insights Podcast features a conversation with Peter MacAskill, the CEO of Invest Nova Scotia. Invest Nova Scotia is the new provincial agency that emerged from the merger of Innovacorp and Nova Scotia Business Inc. Our conversation focuses on a number of Invest Nova Scotia's principal activities, including its Start-Up Investment Fund, a venture fund with investments of $65 million to date and $100 million available for new opportunities. Invest NS is focused on the clean tech, ocean tech, ag tech, life sciences and IT sectors. We also discuss its Innovation Rebate Program for capital investments to improve productivity, a fund to provide a 25% contribution up to a $15 million capital investment, and its accelerator programs and incubation services. Invest Nova Scotia is working closely with Dal's Creative destruction Labs and COVE, both previous guests on the podcast.