On July 26^th, the Global Innovator Conference Toronto Summit successfully took place inside MaRS Discovery District. This year’s theme was “Opportunities for New Technologies”.  This event was a joint effort between APEC China Business Council, China Chamber of International Commerce, Y Intelligence Community, and Invest Canada Alliance, and assisted by Pacific Innovation & Executive Club Toronto.

More than 200 technology entrepreneurs, investors, and governmental representatives from both Canada and China attended this event and participated in the discussions in Life Sciences, Big Data,  and Artificial Intelligence. The distinguished guests include the Honourable Victor Oh (Senator of Canada), the Honourable Michael Chan (Minister of International Trade), Mr. He Wei (Consul General of PR China in Toronto), Mr. Er Defeng (Commercial Counselor of the Consulate General of PR China), Mr. Shen Jianlei (Science and Technology Counselor of the Consulate General of PR China), representatives and members of the visiting delegation organized by APEC China Business Council.

In his opening address to the audience, Consul General of PR China, Mr. He Wei, shared an example of how new technologies changed the lives of millions:

“the Chinese media reported a survey finding about 2 months ago: foreigners residing in Beijing feels that high speed rail, Ali Pay, Bike-sharing, and e-commerce are China’s new “‘four great inventions’”.
Mr. He Wei pointed out that although this may not be an accurate comparison, this survey finding reflects the role of modern technologies in the modern society. China’s economy is now entering the era of technology. The demand of science and high-tech collaboration between China and Canada is growing stronger than ever.

The Honorable Senator Victor Oh delivered his speech on Canada’s policy in strengthening relations and collaborations in the innovation sector with the Asia Pacific, and participating in China’s One-Road-One-Belt initiative.

Ontario Minister of International Trade , the Honourable Michael Chan , delivered the closing remark. Mr. Chan indicated the great potential for China-Canada collaboration in the innovation sector. The GIC 2017 Toronto Summit will play a role in advancing the goal of strengthening the China-Canada collaboration in the commercialization of scientific discoveries.

Vice President of China National Eastern Technology Transfer Center, Mr. Rick Zhou delivered a keynote speech on the “Globalization of Technology Transfer”.

The Founder of Invest Canada Alliance, Mr. Aaron Xiao, indicated that the adaptation of Canadian technologies in China needs to collaborate with the market in order to become truly successful.

Mr. Ben Su, Co-founder of Arendi Core Life Sciences, hosted the panel discussion on the “Innovation in Life Sciences”. The participating panelists include Dr. Ken Hughes (President of iTP Biomedica), Ms. Cathy Tie (Co-founder of Ranomics), and Ms. Tan Guofeng (Partner of Cybernaut Investment Group). The discussion focused on the competitive advantage of Canadian biotechnology industry, and the potential collaborations of China and Canada in life science R&D commercialization.

The panel discussion on “Big Data in the Era of Artificial Intelligence” was hosted by Mr. Frankie Su, President of ZTE Canada. The participating panelists are Ms. Selena Lucien (Co-founder of Small Claims Wizard), Mr. Nie Weihua (Founder and President of Anhui Zhiri New Technology Ltd.), Mr. Eric Lifson, Co-founder of Skrumble Technology, and Mr. Steven Guan (Founder of YesUP Media Inc.).

The panelists discussed the trend of Big Data and AI, future anticipations of the impacts on the society. Based on their respective backgrounds, the application of AI was explored in the context of Access to Justice and Legal Service, Automated Manufacturing, Media Marketing and small-medium enterprise management.

The panel discussion on “Opportunities for New Technology” was hosted by Mr. Rick Zhou, Vice President of China National Eastern Technology Transfer Center. The participating panelist include Dr. Hassan Jaferi (Manager of Commercialization at MaRS Innovation), Dr. Han Lu (Director of Business Development of Asia Pacific at Lumira Capital), and Aaron Xiao (Managing Director of Invest Canada Alliance).

The panelists discussed the potential opportunities for collaborations between China and Canada in the commercialization of scientific discoveries, focusing on the “last mile” solution of technology transfer (i.e. the obstacles and correspondent solutions for the commercialization processes of early to mature stage technologies).

The Global Innovator Conference Toronto Summit received supports from both Canadian and Chinese business communities. Special thanks go to National Eastern Technology Transfer Center Toronto Hub, Yangpu Venture, ZTE Canada, China Construction Bank Toronto Branch, Deloitte Canada China Operation, and Kaiyao Corporation.