The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canadian creative industries expand into new markets, which contributes to our economic recovery and growth, and helps increase opportunities for this dynamic sector.
Canada's Creative Industries Virtual Trade Mission to Sweden concluded today. It allowed 20 small and medium-sized Canadian creative enterprises to network and build connections with more than 55 Swedish participants. These connections will yield great prospects in terms of export opportunities for Canadian creative content.
The mission was supported by the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and Amanda Lind, Sweden's Minister for Culture and Democracy. Both are delighted with the success of this third and final creative industries virtual trade mission, which will build momentum for an eventual in-person trade mission to Europe. In addition to 155 business-to-business meetings, the Canadian delegation benefited from a Swedish market information session, presentations by Swedish industry insiders, and sub-sector roundtables for exchanges between Canadian and Swedish delegates.
The mission to Sweden built on the success of Canadian Heritage's first two virtual trade missions to Europe, to the Netherlands (November 2020) and Germany (March 2021). During these three missions, more than 450 virtual business-to-business meetings were held. They led to international business opportunities, despite restrictions on international travel due to the pandemic. The success of the first two missions represents an estimated preliminary figure of $3.425 million in deals. The Government of Canada will continue to support creative industries to maximize their export potential, especially during the pandemic and as the sector moves into economic recovery.
Quotes
"The Government of Canada is pleased with the success of this creative industries virtual trade mission to Sweden. This mission has fostered productive exchanges that have allowed Canadian companies to forge important links with Swedish companies. It concludes the series of three productive missions that have taken place in recent months. Despite the pandemic, this virtual approach has proved effective in meeting export goals that will contribute to the Canadian economy. By opening up new markets, facilitating business-to-business meetings and strengthening our relationships with our colleagues from various governments, we remain committed to creating opportunities for Canadian companies."
-The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage
Quick facts
-
Through the Creative Export Strategy, Canadian Heritage successfully led creative industry trade missions to Latin America in 2019 and China in 2018.
-
The Swedish trade mission is the Department's third and final virtual mission for 2021. Its major purpose was to foster international business development opportunities for Canadian business delegates by introducing them to potential partners, investors and buyers in the Swedish creative industry market.
