Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service is seeking women-owned and women-led businesses in technology-based sectors to join the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development for a women’s Canada Trade Mission to the United Kingdom.
Event details
Date: March 13 to 16, 2023
Market: United Kingdom
Sector(s): Technology-based sectors – Clean technologies, Information communications and technologies (ICT), Life Sciences
Format: In-market
Registration deadline: February 9, 2023, 17:00 E.S.T.
Why the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom (U.K.) is Canada’s largest export market in Europe, and third largest trading partner in the world. Our bilateral relationship is built on shared history, values and strong economic ties.
In March 2022, Canada and the U.K. announced the launch of negotiations towards a Canada-U.K. free trade agreement (FTA) that is inclusive and sustainable and ensures that everyone benefits from trade, including women, Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized entrepreneurs, 2SLGBTQIA+ and youth.
While the FTA is being negotiated, Canadian exporters continue to have preferential access to the UK market through the Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement (TCA). The TCA preserves the main benefits of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), including the elimination of tariffs on 98% of products exported to the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom’s technology-based sectors create opportunities for Canadian companies
The United Kingdom is Canada’s most important science, technology and innovation (STI) partner in Europe. This importance is underscored in the comprehensive Canada-U.K. Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate further bilateral STI cooperation.
Clean technologies
The United Kingdom has legislated net zero by 2050, with a 68% interim reduction on 1990 levels by 2030, and 78% reduction by 2035. Opportunities exist as sectors across the economy decarbonise and transition to utilising cleaner sources of energy more efficiently in order to reach set targets.
Renewables: Britain’s Energy Security Strategy, published in April 2022, increased ambitions to 50 GW deployed offshore wind by 2030, including 5GW of floating offshore wind. This deployment brings with it supply chain opportunities. Additionally, there is ambitious development planned for hydrogen, CCUS, smart energy systems, and energy storage.
Transportation: The U.K. government has announced a commitment to end the sale of new petrol and diesel petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, and that all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission at the tailpipe by 2035.
Energy Efficiency: The U.K.’s ongoing cost of energy crisis has resulted in heightened focus on the requirement for greater energy management and efficiency measures.
Information and communications technology (ICT)
Technology (ICT)-based businesses are at the heart of the U.K. economy with a turnover of $312.8 billion while sustaining 1.6 million jobs. There are significant opportunities for Canadian exporters, especially for innovations in the following areas:
- Information – Artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and business analytics.
- Computation – 5G, IoT, quantum technologies, decentralised platforms including cloud/edge computing technologies
- Interaction – Digital UX (AR/VR), e-Commerce, enterprise software, metaverse, personalisation and marketing technologies
- Core – Cybersecurity and trust technologies and modernization of legacy systems.
Life sciences
The United Kingdom is home to one of the world’s most productive life science economies and a significant market for medical devices, health IT, diagnostics and related technologies. Its market has been evolving over the past few years providing both challenges as well as opportunities for Canadian companies.
U.K. spending on research and development (R&D) will ramp up with public R&D funding of £20 billion in technology such as AI, life sciences, quantum, fintech and green tech with the aim to make the United Kingdom a Science Superpower, and for the U.K. to invest 2.4% of GDP in R&D by 2027.
In a post-Brexit, post-Covid world, where the United Kingdom is looking for new trading partners, Canadian exporters can potentially benefit from new opportunities on the horizon. New trade and technology partnership opportunities have been created with sub-sectors such as biopharmaceuticals and vaccine manufacturing now strategically important elements to both U.K. and Canadian security. Furthermore, with U.K. researchers and SMEs locked out of various European Union-initiated funds recently, Canada seems to be a growing partner for U.K. companies looking to collaborate and expand into the North American market.
Opportunities will arise from U.K.’s large R&D expenditure for Canadian researchers and companies and this mission can be a platform for Canadian life sciences companies to better understand what the United Kingdom has to offer.
Who can participate?
Canadian export-ready women-owned and/or women-led businesses in the following technology-based sectors:
- Clean technologies
- Information and communications technologies
- Life sciences
Program (*in development)
The in-market program will visit technology hubs in the United Kingdom and will include:
- networking opportunities with Minister Ng and the local business community
- on-site business briefings by our trade commissioners, including expert advice on conducting business successfully in the United Kingdom
- a Free Trade Agreement workshop for Canadian businesses
- market overviews of the United Kingdom’s technology-based sectors
- pre-arranged B2B meetings
- site visits (where applicable)
A limited number of Canadian women-owned and women-led companies will be selected for the in-market program
All applications for the in-market program will be screened for suitability based on the trade mission’s focus and applicants’ capacity to provide the needed services and/or goods in the United Kingdom.
If you are selected to be part of the business delegation, you will be provided a detailed program to help you plan and prepare for your trip.
Travel considerations
Before deciding to travel, please review the travel health notice for COVID-19 and international travel. No matter where you plan on travelling, make sure you check the Travel Advice and Advisories page for your destination twice: once when you are planning your trip and again shortly before you leave. Safety and security conditions may change between the date you book your travel and your departure date.
Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements, including all air and ground transportation to and from the airport.
Participants are responsible for covering all related travel costs, including airfare, accommodations, ground transportation and meals not included in the program.
Please make sure to purchase cancellation insurance and/or a refundable ticket in the event that the mission dates change
Register
Register now to be considered for the Canadian business delegation.
Key contacts
Find out more about the trade mission and the Trade Commissioner Service.
