Trade & Learning Program

The Knowledge Program operates on an annual basis and forms the foundation of the Trade and Learning Program. It maintains a structured and evolving curriculum focused on international clean energy markets, regulatory frameworks, utility operating models, and innovation adoption pathways. 

Knowledge delivery is embedded as a wraparound service for each mission. This includes pre-mission briefings, in-market learning sessions, and post-mission debriefs that translate observed practices into actionable insight for Canadian stakeholders. Content streams are tailored for utility leaders, regulators, technology providers, and system planners. 

A core output of this stream is the Energy Innovation Insights Report produced following major missions. These reports document market structures, procurement models, policy instruments, and emerging technologies observed in-market, providing members with decision-grade intelligence. 

The SME Program operates at an annual, event-based level and is designed to lower barriers to international engagement for Canadian firms. The program aggregates SME participation to secure funding, reduce costs, and enable structured B2B engagement. 

Activities include applying for and administering international business development funding, coordinating shared travel and exhibition arrangements, and maintaining an international business development pipeline aligned with member capabilities. Regular surveys and direct engagement are used to ensure missions and matchmaking remain demand-driven. 

The Indigenous Program is structured around engagement to understand Indigenous priorities, rights, and economic objectives in the context of clean energy transition and infrastructure development. Activities emphasize listening, relationship-building, and co-definition of opportunity rather than transactional participation. 

Where appropriate, Indigenous partners are supported to participate in learning exchanges and missions. International examples of Indigenous participation, benefit-sharing, and governance are documented and shared to inform Canadian practice. 

The Academia Program provides a structured interface between industry needs and longer-term research and innovation priorities. Engagement focuses on sustained thematic collaboration rather than one-off projects, ensuring that international learning informs curriculum development, applied research, and talent pipelines. 

Academic institutions participate in B2B-style engagements, targeted travel, and knowledge exchanges alongside industry and utilities, grounding research activity in real-world market and deployment conditions. 

Utilities play a central role within the Trade and Learning Program. Utility-specific opportunities include peer-to-peer learning with international utilities and system operators, exposure to alternative regulatory and procurement models, and structured dialogue on grid modernization, distributed energy resources, digitalization, and performance-based approaches. 

Utilities benefit from curated insights that translate international experience into practical considerations for domestic planning, capital investment, regulatory engagement, and emissions reduction. 

Industry consultation is continuous and multi-layered. The program incorporates regular surveys of participating members, direct consultations with utilities and SMEs, and structured feedback following missions and education events. 

Consultation inputs are strengthened through international Distributed Energy Resources (DER) fundamentals training sessions and jurisdiction-specific market assessments delivered in collaboration with participating Canadian trade commissioners. These assessments provide grounded insight into local market structure, procurement processes, regulatory requirements, and commercialization pathways. 

Ongoing Business Support operates year-round to convert learning and relationships into tangible outcomes. Trade missions are treated as entry points into longer-term engagement rather than standalone events. 

Support includes market-entry assistance, opportunity identification with international clusters, follow-up engagements, and guidance on accessing international innovation and collaboration programs. The intensity of support is scaled to member needs and specific market conditions.