Organized with the support of the Italian Embassy in Canada, Assolombarda’s mission to Ottawa and Toronto found its conclusion yesterday. The delegation was led by President Alvise Biffi and Chiara Fanali, Director of the Internationalization and Foreign Trade Area. Italy’s Ambassador to Canada, Alessandro Cattaneo, also participated in the meetings held in Ottawa.
The visit provided an opportunity to deepen dialogue with Canadian counterparts on two key priority areas: on the one hand, the promotion of innovation and artificial intelligence as strategic drivers of industrial competitiveness; on the other, strengthening cooperation in the critical minerals sector, supporting advanced manufacturing, promoting the circular economy, and fostering collaboration in research and innovation on new materials.
On June 16, Assolombarda met in Ottawa with Invest in Canada, the federal agency responsible for promoting foreign investment; the Department of Industry, for discussions on policies supporting innovation and the adoption of artificial intelligence by SMEs; and Global Affairs Canada, for an update on the Italy–Canada Business Forum, scheduled to take place in Toronto on October 29 at the initiative of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Antonio Tajani. The day concluded with a meeting with the Secretary of State for Labour, the Honourable John Zerucelli.
On June 17, the delegation met with representatives of Natural Resources Canada to explore opportunities for cooperation in the field of critical minerals. The Ottawa leg of the mission concluded with a visit to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian counterpart to Confindustria.
With the assistance of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA/ICE) Office in Toronto, the mission then continued in Ontario’s capital, where the delegation met with several leading organizations from Canada’s innovation, research, and economic development ecosystem. These included the Vector Institute, MaRS Discovery District, the Ontario Centre of Innovation, the University of Toronto, the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), the Toronto Region Board of Trade, and the Ontario Investment and Trade Centre.
