A royal visit in Montréal: Spotlight on defence and AI

“There is already friendship and collaboration on many fields (between Canada and Sweden). Now, we’d like to work on this”, said King Carl XVI Gustaf in an interview with CTV National News during his visit.

The carefully curated agenda underscored a clear message: the future of collaboration lies in cutting-edge industries. With artificial intelligence and defence at the forefront, Montréal and Sweden are poised to deepen their partnership in areas that will shape tomorrow’s economy.

Mila: Montréal’s AI crown jewel

The delegation made sure to stop by Mila, the world’s largest academic AI research centre specialized in deep learning. Home to some 1,500 researchers, Mila supports AI-driven innovation applied to a wide range of fields, including life sciences, financial technologies, and much more. Projects showcased during the royal visit featured innovations in medical imaging and precision medicine, oncology, forestry and novel tools to support citizen engagement in the democratic process.

With nearly 50,000 talents with AI-skills and a steady stream of investments from giants such as Google, Ericsson, Samsung and Novartis, Montréal has firmly established itself as a world-class destination for AI leaders.

Defence: Where allies join forces

Strengthening ties in aerospace and defence was a central theme of the royal visit. Bombardier, Québec’s flagship aerospace multinational, hosted a lunch session at its Dorval facility to deepen collaboration between Sweden and Canada in this critical sector.

In fact, the cooperation is already well underway with the GlobalEye program, a cutting-edge initiative that combines Bombardier’s Global 6000/6500 aircraft with Saab’s advanced communications and surveillance systems. The result is a state-of-the-art platform capable of supporting transport, reconnaissance, and surveillance missions. These aircraft are trusted by militaries and heads of state worldwide. This example highlights the strength and success of existing partnerships around cutting-edge technologies.

Cleantech: like-minded entrepreneurs meet

While defence and AI highlight the strengths of the ongoing collaboration between both countries, Québec’s emerging clean technologies sectors also offer an avenue for forging stronger economic ties.

The region is a renewable energy powerhouse, with clean electricity surpluses exported to the U.S.’ northeastern regions. Québec is also home to some 400 companies whose innovations accelerate the transition to a carbon-free economy. Furthermore, more than half of electric vehicles in Canada are registered in Québec, compared to only 21% in Ontario, which is more heavily populated. Companies like NovaBus have bet heavily on Greater Montréal to develop electric vehicles and related components.

For Sweden and Canada alike, cleantech represents a shared vision of sustainable growth and a fertile ground for forging stronger economic ties.

Nordic countries team up

The royal visit comes as both nations seek to enhance their economic ties. Back in 2022, Urban Ahlin, then ambassador of Sweden to Canada, declared in an interview with La Presse’s Jean-Philippe Décarie: “The world has changed. First came COVID-19, then Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. In the past, we could outsource our production chains to China and other countries that are no longer reliable today. Now we are looking for trustworthy partners. Canada is one, and so are we.”

Three years later, with geopolitical tensions and trade challenges reshaping the global economy, that message resonates more strongly than ever. Canada and Sweden, it seems, are taking a similar direction, investing in industries that will define the future. As King Carl XVI Gustaf declared to CTV News, now is the time to “work on this”!