Today's global challenges-including international peace and security, global economic stability and growth, and the digital transition-require Canadians and allies to work together to find shared solutions. Working with G7 partners, Canada is building a new era of collaboration-one rooted in trusted partnerships, competitive economies, and innovation that delivers for people and businesses.
Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, and the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, concluded the G7 Industry, Digital and Technology Ministers' Meeting in Montréal, Quebec.
The ministers met with their G7 counterparts from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union, as well as representatives from the Republic of Korea. They discussed priorities and cooperation on topics such as industrial competitiveness, quantum technologies, supply chain security and artificial intelligence (AI).
Over the course of the sessions, G7 ministers spoke about the challenge they face in accessing critical inputs for industrial growth without developing economic dependencies. They addressed a changing trade environment that is making it more important than ever to remove barriers to innovation, while supporting industrial-and digital-transformation. To this end, G7 ministers affirmed their desire to work together to build the partnerships needed to drive cross-border business and investment and ensure ongoing economic vitality.
Under Canada's leadership-building on the commitments made at the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis-G7 countries welcomed the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise AI Adoption Blueprint, a practical guide that provides small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with policy tools, trusted use cases and deployment strategies to accelerate productivity and responsible AI adoption. This blueprint is accompanied by a new SME AI Toolkit, delivered under Canada's G7 Presidency, which offers concrete resources to help businesses adopt AI, drive competitiveness and scale in global markets.
Ministers also endorsed the 2025 G7 Industry, Digital and Technology Ministerial Declaration, which details areas for ongoing collaboration on vital economic and technology issues. The results of this declaration will make G7 industries more competitive in an evolving global landscape.
On the margins of the G7, Minister Solomon concluded a series of major international agreements:
- Two memoranda of understanding with the European Union, expanding collaboration on AI, data governance and trusted digital services, and advancing shared work on digital sovereignty
- A memorandum of understanding with the United Kingdom on national digital public infrastructure, reinforcing a shared commitment to secure and interoperable digital systems
- A joint statement launching the new Canada-Germany Digital Alliance, a strategic framework to advance cooperation on AI, quantum, digital infrastructure and talent mobility
Minister Solomon and his German counterpart, Minister Karsten Wildberger, also highlighted an upcoming joint call for proposals to advance the commercialization of quantum technologies with Germany. As well, with his United Kingdom counterpart, Minister Ian Murray, Minister Solomon highlighted the opportunity to express interest for projects to build preparedness for a quantum communications demonstration between Canada and the United Kingdom.
These initiatives position Canada and its partners to build shared industrial strength, deepen innovation ecosystems and lay the digital foundations of tomorrow's economy.
