Central Baltic SMEs explore Canadian market opportunities during export mission to Toronto

From 25–30 October 2026, eight innovative companies from Estonia, Finland and Latvia took part in an export mission to Toronto, Canada. The mission gave participating companies an opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the Canadian business environment, connect with local business support organisations and investors, and explore potential partnerships with Canadian companies. The mission was organised as part of the SMEEE project, co-funded by the Interreg Central Baltic Programme.

The participating companies represented a diverse range of innovative sectors, including remote sensing, e-learning, life sciences, heating and cooling technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and many more.

Throughout the week, they engaged directly with Canadian ecosystem stakeholders, explored pathways for entering the Canadian market, and built connections with potential partners through tailored B2B meetings.

A key focus of the programme was to provide participants with practical knowledge about doing business in Canada. The delegation took part in expert-led sessions hosted by f.ex. Aird & Berlis LLP, Invest Ontario, Miller Thomson LLP, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Global Startup Accelerator, Cansulta and Toronto Global. These sessions provided insights into topics such as the Canadian business environment, market entry, investment opportunities and the practical considerations involved in expanding into the Canadian market.

A networking reception hosted by the Nordic-Baltic Chambers of Commerce gave participants an opportunity to connect with members of the local business community and meet Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Mr Victor Fedeli. In his remarks, Minister Fedeli highlighted the strengths of Toronto’s business ecosystem and its position as the second-largest technology centre in North America.

The mission also provided participants with first-hand exposure to Toronto’s world-class innovation ecosystem. During the week, the companies visited MaRS Discovery District, Canada’s leading urban innovation hub; the Vector Institute, a leading AI organisation connecting researchers and industry partners to advance artificial intelligence; and ventureLAB, a leading global founder community supporting hardware technology and enterprise software companies in Canada.

Participants also gained practical insights from Canadian innovation companies. During a visit to NuPort Robotics, a Canadian autonomous trucking company, the delegation learned about the company’s approach to retrofitting existing trucks with self-driving technology for middle-mile transportation between warehouses, distribution centres and terminals.

These visits gave the companies a first-hand view of Canada’s innovation landscape and offered practical examples of how businesses develop, collaborate and scale in the market. A key message throughout the mission was the growing interest among Canadian organisations in strengthening collaboration and business ties with Europe, creating promising opportunities for Central Baltic SMEs.

The mission was organised as part of the SMEEE project, co-funded by the Interreg Central Baltic Programme and implemented by Business Tampere (Finland), the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LTRK) (Latvia), Kista Science City (Sweden), and Tartu Business Advisory Services (Estonia).

Photos by Creative Officials Media.