Since July 2024, Canada has been associated with Pillar II of Horizon Europe, enabling Canadian organisations to participate in EU-funded collaborative research that addresses global challenges and strengthens competitiveness. Canadian organisations can now join international consortia alongside leading research organisations from across Europe and beyond.
This growing momentum was recently reflected in the event “Demystifying Horizon Europe: Opportunities in Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space)”, held at the University of Toronto. During the event, speakers from European institutions shared practical guidance on building successful consortia, preparing strong proposals and making the most of the opportunities available under Horizon Europe.
In this broader context of strengthened EU–Canada cooperation in digital matters, Aptitude reflects the type of cross-border collaboration supported by Horizon Europe, contributing to the development and testing of digital solutions in practical use cases such as Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) and Student Card. Through this work, the project supports innovation in trusted and interoperable digital services across borders.
At the same time, EU–Canada cooperation is also advancing at policy level. Following the fifth meeting of the CETA Joint Committee in Toronto on 5 March 2026, the European Union and Canada formally launched negotiations on an EU–Canada Digital Trade Agreement, marking another important step towards a forward-looking framework for digital trade and stronger bilateral cooperation in the digital era.
Read more about boosting EU–Canada trade through CETA here.
