CIAC2026 Agenda

All session are open to the media with the exception of the Special Session on Canada-India Relations and the Special Session on Canada-China Relations.

Agenda subject to change. Download a copy of the CIAC2026 agenda below.

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7:30 a.m. - onwards

Registration Opens

Open all day

7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Coffee & Networking

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Special Session on Canada-India Relations

Not open to media

Moderator:

Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President, Research and Strategy, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (Canada)

Speakers:

H.E. Chris Cooter, High Commissioner of Canada to the Republic of India
Nadir Patel, Senior Strategic Advisor, NortonRose Fulbright Canada LLP, Managing Director, Fairfax Consulting Services, Canada’s former High Commissioner of Canada to the Republic of India (Canada)

9:30 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.

Opening Remarks and Conference Introduction

Opening remarks:

Jeff Nankivell, President & CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (Canada)

9:40 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

CIAC Opening Plenary Armchair Discussion:
Understanding Major Economic Trends and Canada-Asia Opportunities

This opening session sets the stage for CIAC2026 with a broad look at the major economic forces shaping growth trajectories in Asia and the implications for Canada’s engagement in the region. This session frames how shifting supply chains, digital transformations, sustainability imperatives, and the demand for secure supply across the conference’s three sectors of focus - food security, energy security, and infrastructure - are redefining opportunities for collaboration.

Moderator:

Neha Noronha, Investment Specialist, Private Sector Operations Department, Asian Development Bank (Singapore)

Speakers:

Sue-Ern Tan, Head, Regional Cooperation Office, International Energy Agency (Singapore)
Anuj Maheshwari, Head, Agri-food, Temasek (Singapore)
Frank Lin, Managing Director of Asian Regions, WSP (Taiwan)

Coffee, Networking, Transition

10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 1:
Food, Fertilizer, and Foreign Policy: The New Geopolitics of Agri-Food

10:45 a.m. - 11:45 p.m.

Food security is a major global policy challenge and a priority across Asia that economies and organizations address in relation to local contexts and capabilities. It is simultaneously an issue of domestic concern and geopolitical imperative. How are governments and organizations in Asia and Canada navigating this terrain? And how can Canadian agriculture, agri-food, fertilizer and agri-technologies contribute to food security – and foreign policy – priorities in Asia?

Moderator:

Diedrah Kelly, Executive Director, Canada's Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office (Philippines)

Speakers:

Claire Citeau, Senior Vice President, Canadian Meat Council (Canada)
Kim Thanh Nguyen, General Director, Saky Foods (Vietnam)
Chris Lane, President & CEO, Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership (STEP) (Canada)

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 2:
The AI-Compute Conundrum: Powering the AI Revolution

As use of artificial intelligence accelerates globally, the race to build digital infrastructure—especially data centres and compute power—is intensifying. But the energy demands of large-scale AI training and deployment are creating new stresses on energy systems and climate commitments. This session explores how governments, energy producers, and technology developers across Canada and Asia are grappling with the dual challenge of enabling digital growth while decarbonizing the energy base that powers it.

Moderator:

Jan De Silva, Canada Co-Chair, Canada-ASEAN Business Council (Canada) (moderator)

Speakers:

Abieta Billy, Vice-President Market Development and Sales Strategy, DCI Indonesia (Indonesia)
Mark Daley, Chief AI Officer and Professor, Department of Computer Science, Western University (Canada)
Yoonee Jeong, Senior Digital Technology Specialist (Digital Infrastructure and Economy), Asian Development Bank (Philippines)

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 3:
Investing in Canadian Infrastructure for Transpacific Trade: Ports, Airports, Energy, Trade Corridors

Canada’s federal government has implemented a new approach to accelerating development, streamlining regulation and attracting investment to major projects of national significance in energy, natural resources and trade enabling infrastructure. This session focuses on strengthening Canada’s infrastructure to expand Canada-Asia trade and the benefits of enhanced trade infrastructure in Canada can bring to partners across the Indo-Pacific region.

Moderator:

Vincent Joli-Coeur, Chairman Asia Pacific, National Bank of Canada (Hong Kong (SAR))

Speakers:

Mark Maki, CEO, Trans Mountain (Canada)
Arun Thangaraj, Deputy Minister, Transport Canada (Canada)
Tamara Vrooman, President & CEO, Vancouver International Airport (Canada)
Peter Xotta, President & CEO, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (Canada)

11:45 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Transition and Buffet Lunch Available

12:30 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.

Government Addresses

12:50 p.m. - 1:40 p.m.

CIAC Lunch Plenary:
Pursuing Economic Security Amid Global Trade Disorder

This high-profile plenary explores the tariff turmoil, geopolitical competition, and broad-ranging uncertainty that are reshaping global trade while offering insights into impacts and responses across the Indo-Pacific. In a region where shifting supply chains are a reality, how can governments, firms, and institutions (including Canadian) pursue their interests while making more significant contributions to regional economic security?

Speakers:

The Hon. Lisa Raitt, Co-Chair, Coalition for a Better Future (Canada)
Bart Édes, Professor of Practice, McGill University; Distinguished Fellow, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (Canada)
Stephen Olson, Visiting Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies - Yusof Ishak Institute, National University of Singapore (Singapore)
Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow & Research Lead (Trade & Economic Policy), Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore (Singapore)

Coffee, Networking, Transition

1:40 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Sector Networking Sessions

Food Security

Energy Security

Infrastructure

2:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Coffee, Networking, Transition

2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Executive Sessions

Invitation-only

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Coffee, Networking, Transition

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Promoting Trade & Investment through the Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICA CEPA)

Indonesia: Strategic Convergence and the New Economic Architecture: As Southeast Asia’s largest economy accelerates toward its "Golden Indonesia 2045" vision, this session offers a high-level analysis of the economic and diplomatic architecture now defining the Canada-Indonesia relationship. With the newly concluded Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as a backdrop, the dialogue will draw on deep policy expertise to examine how trade negotiators and government envoys are successfully lowering barriers and facilitating trade opportunities across sectors, including in agriculture and energy. The discussion will explore how Jakarta’s non-aligned strategy and OECD accession-oriented reforms create predictable frameworks for economic partnership. Moving from policy to implementation, the session leverages leading private sector perspectives to address how industry chambers and business councils are driving the development of logistics, digital connectivity, green energy grids and more. Experts will discuss how Canadian exporters and investors can navigate the ASEAN business climate to support Indonesia’s downstreaming goals, ensuring that high-level agreements translate into tangible projects and resilient supply chains.

Moderator:

Barrett Bingley , Asia Regional Director, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (Canada)

Speakers:

H.E. Jess Dutton, Ambassador of Canada to the Republic of Indonesia (Canada)
Wayne Farmer, President, Canada-ASEAN Business Council (Canada)
Devi Erna Rachmawati, Vice Chairwoman for Agriculture, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) (Indonesia)

5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Gala Reception & Networking

6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Gala Dinner

Welcome Remarks:

Joy Johnson, Chair, Universities Canada and President, Simon Fraser University (Canada)

Pierre Pettigrew, Chair, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (Canada)

Jonathan Cheng, China Bureau Chief, Wall Street Journal (China) in conversation with Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President, Research and Strategy, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (Canada) (moderator)

7:30 a.m. - onwards

Registration Opens

Open all day

7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Coffee & Networking

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Special Session on Canada-China Relations

Not open to media

Moderator:

Jeff Nankivell, President & CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (Canada)

Speakers:

H.E. Jennifer May, Ambassador of Canada to the People's Republic of China

9:30 a.m. - 10:30a.m.

CIAC Morning Plenary:
Strategic Infrastructure for a Fragmented Future: Climate, Security, and Technology at a Crossroads

In an era marked by polycrisis—climate shocks, great-power rivalry, and technological disruption—critical infrastructure is more than concrete and cables: it is a battleground for values, resilience, and long-term prosperity. This plenary will examine how Canada and Asia can shape the future through smart, sustainable infrastructure investments that address both national security and shared planetary risks.

Moderator:

Ed McCauley, President, University of Calgary (Canada)

Speakers:

Rizki Hasan, CEO, Indonesia Infrastructure Finance (Indonesia)
Paulo Martelli, Chief Investment Officer, FinDevCanada (Canada)

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Coffee & Networking, Transition

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 1:
Strategic Investment Partnerships in the Agri-Food Sector

This session focuses on deepening investment ecosystem connections between Canada-based and Asia-based companies, governments, service providers and innovation hubs to catalyze and grow transpacific agri-food cooperation. What are some recent examples of successful agreements in the Canada-Asia agri-food space? How are these advancing food security? What factors act as roadblocks to deal making? And what are some novel pathways to cooperation?

Moderator:

Joseph Fung, Managing Partner, Saltagen Ventures (Hong Kong (SAR))

Speakers:

Scott Moore, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Export Development Canada (EDC) (Canada)
Anjali Bansal, Founding Partner, Avaana Capital (India)
Tyler Groenveld, CEO, Protein Industries Canada (Canada)
Xuiling Guo, CEO, Nurasa (Singapore)

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 2:
Critical Minerals and Materials and Strategic Dependencies: Clean Tech Supply Chains

The growth and deployment of clean technologies at scale relies on stable and accessible supplies of critical minerals, including copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt, graphite, rare earths, and other critical minerals. Canada possesses important deposits of these and other critical minerals, and has notable strengths in the mining and processing segments of several critical minerals supply chains. How can Canada become a more significant and dependable partner of choice for Asia in critical minerals supply chains?

Speakers:

Allen Chan, Director of Energy Transition Consulting, S&P Global (Singapore)
Sue Paish, CEO, DIGITAL (Canada)
Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow and Director of Energy, Natural Resources and Environment, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, (Canada)
Prasad Puttagunta, Vice President, Project Management, Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada Corporation, Asahi Kasei (Canada)
Claire Alidenes, Principal Investment Specialist, Asian Development Bank (Philippines)

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 3:
Digital Foundations: Building the Infrastructure for a Connected Future

Digital infrastructure—broadband networks, data centres, undersea cables, cloud computing, cybersecurity, 5G and more—is an essential pillar of economic competitiveness and resilience. This panel explores how companies, governments and institutions in Canada and Asia can collaborate to expand secure, sustainable, and inclusive digital systems that underpin modern trade and innovation. We examine best practices and strategies for technology partnerships that ensure digital connectivity becomes a shared foundation for prosperity and trust.

Moderator:

David Lederhendler, Founder and CEO, Yeji Data Lab; and Board Director, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (Canada)

Speakers:

Mahesh Uttamchandani, Regional Practice Director for Digital and AI, East Asia & Pacific and South Asia, World Bank (Singapore)
Melissa M. Chee, Independent Board Director; Deep Tech CEO & Investor (Canada)
Gina Wong, General Manager, ASEAN, Cohere Inc. (Singapore)
Atulya Bharadwaj, Director of Product Management, Tata Communications (Singapore)
Tu Vu Anh, Chief Technology Officer, FPT Corporation (Vietnam)

12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Transition and Buffet Lunch Available

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

CIAC Lunch Plenary:
Building Canada-Asia Collaboration Networks

This session spotlights Canada-Asia collaborations in higher education and business that are connecting ecosystems, driving innovation, and catalyzing opportunity.

Speakers:

Gabriel Miller, President & CEO, Universities Canada (Canada)
Bill Flanagan, President & Vice Chancellor, University of Alberta (Canada)
Louis Phee, Vice President (Innovation & Entrepreneurship), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)

1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Coffee & Networking, Transition

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 1:
Technology to Feed 10 Billion: Data, Traceability and Innovation

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

As global population growth intensifies demand for sustainable food systems, technology will play a decisive role in ensuring reliable, transparent, and efficient production and distribution. This session investigates how actors in Canada and Asia can co-develop and scale agricultural innovations—from precision farming and biotech to technology-powered traceability—that enhance productivity, reliability and trust across supply chains to advance long-term food security for a growing world.

Speakers:

Bev Postma, Executive Director, Grow Asia (Singapore)
Chanèle Boulet Gauthier, Director of Strategy and Development, Socodevi (Canada)
Nick Parker, CEO, CleanAI (Canada)
Siddartha Joshi, General Manager, Sustainability Finance, Olam Agri (Singapore)

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 2:

Global Investment to Meet Asia’s Energy Future: Mapping Demand and Opportunity

This session explores the scale, diversity, and strategic direction of energy investment to supply markets across Asia—home to the world’s fastest-growing energy demand. As countries across the Indo-Pacific pursue parallel goals of economic development, energy security, and decarbonization, the need for capital investment in energy infrastructure has never been more urgent—or more complex. The panel provides a region-wide scan of energy demand, which technologies and fuels are gaining traction, and where Canada fits into the Indo-Pacific energy landscape, including LNG and nuclear technologies.

Moderator:

Sara Wilshaw, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, International Trade and Chief Trade Commissioner, Global Affairs Canada (Canada)

Speakers:

Youn-Kyoo Kim, Dean, Korea-Canada Centre for Sustainable Energy Security (KCCSES) at Hanyang University (South Korea)
Joshua Lim, Vice President, Global Head of LNG Trading, Shell (Singapore)
Bernie Derible, Agent General, Southeast Asia, Province of Ontario (Singapore)

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 3:

Infrastructure as Strategy: Corridors of Power and the New Geopolitical Alliances

This dialogue focuses on major powers using infrastructure investment as a geopolitical tool and where Canada fits into evolving regional infrastructure conversations. This includes how ports, railways, energy grids, and digital corridors are redrawing the map of influence in the Indo-Pacific region, and ways Canadian infrastructure capabilities and energy technologies such as nuclear can contribute to fulfilling Asia’s diverse infrastructure needs.

Moderator:

Laura Hewitt, Senior Vice President & Head, Global Government Affairs and Public Policy, Sun Life (Canada)

Speakers:

Don Lam, CEO, VinaCapital (Vietnam)
Andrew Tan, Board Director, Keppel Data Centre REIT & Ex-Temasek (Singapore)
Robert Todd, Managing Director, Energy, Infrastructure & Transition, CIBC Capital Markets (Canada/U.K.)

Coffee & Networking, Transition

3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

CIAC Closing Plenary

Moderator:

Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President, Research and Strategy, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (Canada)

Speakers:

H.E. Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General for ASSEAN Economic Community, ASEAN Secretariat (Indonesia)
Karishma Vaswani, Opinion Columnist, Bloomberg (Singapore)
Djatmiko B. Witjaksono, Director General, International Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Trade, Government of Indonesia (Indonesia)

4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

CIAC2026 Agenda

Registration Opens

Coffee & Networking

Special Session on Canada-India Relations

Opening Remarks and Conference Introduction

CIAC Opening Plenary Armchair Discussion: Understanding Major Economic Trends and Canada-Asia Opportunities

Coffee, Networking, Transition

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 1: Food, Fertilizer, and Foreign Policy: The New Geopolitics of Agri-Food

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 2: The AI-Compute Conundrum: Powering the AI Revolution

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 3: Investing in Canadian Infrastructure for Transpacific Trade: Ports, Airports, Energy, Trade Corridors

Transition and Buffet Lunch Available

Government Addresses

CIAC Lunch Plenary: Pursuing Economic Security Amid Global Trade Disorder

Coffee, Networking, Transition

Sector Networking Sessions

Coffee, Networking, Transition

Executive Sessions

Coffee, Networking, Transition

Promoting Trade & Investment through the Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (ICA CEPA)

Gala Reception & Networking

Gala Dinner

CIAC Opening Plenary Armchair Discussion:
Understanding Major Economic Trends and Canada-Asia Opportunities

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 1:
Food, Fertilizer, and Foreign Policy: The New Geopolitics of Agri-Food

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 2:
The AI-Compute Conundrum: Powering the AI Revolution

CIAC Concurrent Dialogue 3:
Investing in Canadian Infrastructure for Transpacific Trade: Ports, Airports, Energy, Trade Corridors

CIAC Lunch Plenary:
Pursuing Economic Security Amid Global Trade Disorder