The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, June 18, edition that a new survey reveals that many small-to-medium-sized enterprises are looking to enter the Canadian defence sector, while existing companies are seeking financing in anticipation of significant revenue growth. The Globe's Pippa Norman writes that Canada needs to achieve $159-billion in core defence spending over the next nine years to meet Prime Minister Mark Carney's commitment of dedicating 3.5 per cent of GDP to defence by 2035, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer. If Ottawa commits to buying Canadian during its defense buildup, it could create significant opportunities for domestic industry. To meet the demand for modern military technologies, Canada's small-to-medium-sized enterprises must scale up and require financing to achieve this. Of the 268 businesses selling into defence already, 47 per cent are most active in Ontario and 68 per cent are independent companies with majority Canadian ownership. Roughly 60 per cent have between five and 99 employees. Despite BDC's growing interest in defence and initial support from the Big Six banks, around half of defense SMEs still expect challenges in securing financing.