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Canada-in-Asia
Conference 2025

February 19-21, 2025 | #CIAC2025
Conference tickets $600, includes access to Gala Dinner. Use code EARLYBIRD20 for 20% off before November 3, 2024.
 
With generous support from:
Government of Canada logo
LOGO_FinDevCanada_HorizontalRed_transparentbg (6).png
IDRC logo
About
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ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The annual Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC) is a multi-directional engagement platform for Canada-based and Asia-based companies, institutions, universities, and governments. CIAC convenes business leaders, experts, investors, policy-makers, researchers, and innovators from across Asia and Canada to exchange perspectives, knowledge, and ideas, with the goal of facilitating collaborative partnerships. The conference’s plenary and concurrent sessions, as well as dedicated networking times, provide a range of opportunities for engagement and exchange with likeminded partners. The annual CIAC Gala Dinner provides a centrepiece attraction for Canadians with interests in Asia, and for those based in Asia who have business, institutional, or personal connections to Canada.  

  

CIAC2025 will be held at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore February 19-21, 2025. We envisage it will attract 700 attendees from across Asia and Canada.  

FEATURED SPEAKERS

CIAC2025 speakers come from a range of backgrounds: dynamic business leaders, innovators, investors, government ministers, senior researchers, and more. For the full list of speakers, please see our Speakers page. 

If you are interested in a speaking engagement or partnership opportunities at CIAC2025, please reach out to ciac@asiapacific.ca.

Agenda

AGENDA

Plenary Sessions  

  

CIAC2025’s four substantive plenary sessions bring together all conference attendees and focus on major cross-cutting themes and ideas in the Canada-Asia relationship as well as global challenges such as geopolitics, the renewed space race, sustainable investment, and infrastructure.   

  

Concurrent Sessions, Sectors & Engagement Tracks  

  

CIAC2025 offers four concurrent session blocks, which can be navigated by either sectors or engagement tracks. Four sectors have been identified after extensive consultation with CIAC stakeholders and represent areas in which there is much opportunity for collaboration between and among Canada-based and Asia-based firms, researchers, and institutions. Engagement tracks offer an alternative pathway to engage for those who are more interested in themes that cut across these sectors. 

Agenda subject to change.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

5:30-7:30pm   WELCOME RECEPTION

Thursday, February 20, 2025

8:45-10:00am     CONFERENCE OPENING AND MORNING PLENARY

Plenary Session: The Global Competition for Talent

10:30-11:30am  MORNING CONCURRENT SESSIONS

ADVANCING FOOD SECURITY THROUGH INNOVATION

Sector: Agri-food & Food Security

Track: Innovation Ecosystems

FACILITATING INVESTMENT IN BLUE ECONOMY SOLUTIONS

Sector: Ocean Tech & Blue Economy

Track: Investment & Finance

CANADA AS A STABLE PROVIDER OF CRITICAL MINERALS FOR ASIA'S CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES

Sector: Clean Technology

Track: Trade & Supply Chains

GREENING GRIDS THROUGH AI

Sector: Energy Transitions & Energy Security

Track: Artificial Intelligence

Canada Investing in Research for Development in Asia

12:00-1:30pm   LUNCH PLENARY

2:00-3:00pm     AFTERNOON CONCURRENT SESSIONS

ADDRESSING FINANCING BOTTLENECKS IN AGRICULTURE & AGRI-FOOD IN ASIA

Sector: Agri-food & Food Security

Track: Investment & Finance

(Developed in partnership with Grow Asia)

COLLABORATING ON SHIPPING DECARBONIZATION

Sector: Ocean Tech & Blue Economy

Track: Trade & Supply Chains

HARNESSING DATA AND AI FOR CLEAN TECHNOLOGY AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Sector: Clean Technology

Track: Artificial Intelligence

INNOVATING FOR ENERGY TRANSITIONS IN ASIA AND CANADA

Sector: Energy Transitions & Energy Security

Track: Innovation Ecosystems

3:15-4:15pm   EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

5:30-6:30pm   GALA RECEPTION

6:30-9:00pm   GALA DINNER

Friday, February 21, 2025

8:00-9:00am     BREAKFAST CONCURRENT SESSIONS

HARMONIZED SPS REQUIREMENTS FOR ROBUST AGRI-FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS IN ASEAN

Sector: Agri-food & Food Security

Track: Trade & Supply Chains

ADVANCING THE BLUE ECONOMY THROUGH AI

Sector: Ocean Tech & Blue Economy

Track: Artificial Intelligence

INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING

Sector: Clean Technology

Track: Innovation Ecosystems

POWERING ASIA'S ENERGY TRANSITIONS THROUGH INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS

Sector: Energy Transitions & Energy Security

Track: Investment & Finance

Navigating Geopolitical Risk, Recasting Global Supply Chains 

9:30-10:30am   MORNING PLENARY

11:00-12:00pm   MORNING CONCURRENT SESSIONS

ADVANCING AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS THROUGH AI

Sector: Agri-food & Food Security

Track: Artificial Intelligence

CONNECTING OCEAN AND BLUE-ECONOMY INNOVATORS IN ASIA AND CANADA

Sector: Ocean Tech & Blue Economy

Track: Innovation Ecosystems

CLEAN TECH PRIORITIES FOR INVESTORS

Sector: Clean Technology

Track: Investment & Finance

CANADIAN ENERGY SUPPLYING TRANSITIONS IN ASIA

Sector: Energy Transitions & Energy Security

Track: Trade & Supply Chains

Asia's Sustainable Infrastructure Opportunity

12:30-1:45pm   CLOSING LUNCH PLENARY

1:45-2:00pm   CLOSING REMARKS

NETWORKING & RELATED EVENTS

CIAC2025 offers a platform to meet and connect with potential partners and collaborators from a diverse range of sectors across Canada and Asia, and APF Canada and Universities Canada have ensured plenty of time for networking between sessions. As with past events, we predict that attendees at CIAC2025 will come from a breadth of economies and sectors: over 75% of the 460 attendees at CIAC2024 were from Asia and represented 35 cities in 19 economies. 57% of CIAC2024 attendees were from the private sector, 20% were from the public sector, while 23% came from universities and research communities, including NGOs. Past events have attracted many senior Canadian diplomats and senior trade commissioners, as well as Presidents of Canadian universities, and we envision similar at CIAC2025. 

CIAC2025 provides a platform for Canada-Asia engagement, and many partners and attendees convene events on the margins of the conference that are relevant to our audience. For more information on these sessions, please see our Related Events page.

Canada-Asia NextGen Technology Investment Forum (CANTIF2025)

Building on the success of Women in Venture Capital (2023) and Venture into Sustainability (2024), the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada's global investor forum, CANTIF2025, provides an exceptional opportunity to connect with a curated group of global investors. The forum, hosted by the Canadian Women's International Network (CanWIN) and held on the margins of CIAC2025 will bring together investors, cutting-edge Canadian innovators, and influential ecosystem builders. 

 

This by-invitation summit aims to foster cross-border innovation and surface unique investment opportunities in Canada and across Asia. 

 

When: February 19, afternoon

 

Information: a.w.lee@asiapacific.ca

PARTNERS

With generous support from:

Government of Canada logo

Major Partners

LOGO_FinDevCanada_HorizontalRed_transparentbg (6).png
IDRC logo

Supporting Partners

Air Canada logo
RBC logo

Associate Partners

CIBC log
FCC logo
Gowling WLG logo
SunLife logo

Gold University Partners

University of Saskatchewan logo

Silver University Partners

University logo
University of Toronto logo

Bronze University Partners

University of Waterloo logo
Fasken logo

In-kind Partners

Australia Canada Economic Leadership Forum logo
Business Council of Canada logo
Canada-ASEAN Business Council logo
Canada Ocean Supercluster logo
Marine Institute at the Memorial University Newfoundland logo

Stay In Touch

Sign up below for updates on the Canada-in-Asia Conferences initiatives,

or contact us at events@asiapacific.ca.

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